ASMODEUS  IN  NEW-YORK. 


M.I.Wcller. 


"WlTH  MALICE  TOWARD  NONE,  WITH  CHARITY  FOR  ALL." 

President  Lincoln, 

*  «  » 


NEW-YORK  : 
LONGCHAMP   &    CO.,   PUBLISHERS. 

1868. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1868,  by 
LONGCHAMP   &   CO., 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Southern 
District  of  New- York. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   I. 
Which  is  something  like  a  preface, 9 

CHAPTER    II. 
Shows  at  what  cost  luxury  is  obtained  in  New- York, 14 

CHAPTER    III. 

In  which  Asmodeus,  after  adverting  to  some  contradictions  in  the  American  cha- 
racter, begins  Helena  Ronfort's  history, 36 

CHAPTER    IV. 

In  which  the  reader  makes  the  acquaintance  of  some  eccentric  characters,  and  in 
which  Asmodeus  derides  the  American  people  for  a  predominating  mania, 
and  sundry  oddities 38 

CHAPTER   V. 

Shows  an  expeditious  way  to  settle  accounts,  and  how  tenants  may  pay  their 
house-rents  with  little  trouble  to  themselves,  .......  55 

CHAPTER   VI. 
In  which  Asmodeus  relates  a  sad  mistake  of  Judge  Lynch, 65 

CHAPTER    VII. 

Which  may  be  passed  over,  if  the  reader  does  not  care  to  read  D.  D.  Merryman's 
adventures, 81 

CHAPTER   VIII. 
In  which  Asmodeus  sketches  the  judiciary  world  and  institutions  of  New- York,   .  99 


2212586 


vi  Contents. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

Shows  the  way  the  best  institutions  are  sometimes  vitiated,  and  also  why  popular 
governments  are  not  always  the  cheapest, 117 

CHAPTER   X. 

In  which  it  will  be  seen  gambling,  though  prohibited  by  law,  is  an  ordinary  pas- 
time in  New- York, 131 

CHAPTER    XI. 

In  which  Asmodeus  descants  on  the  most  powerful  agency  of  civilization  in  the 
United  States,        .  147 

CHAPTER   XII. 
Gives  the  sequel  of  Helena  Ronfort's  history,          ......         161 

CHAPTER   XIII. 

In  which,  after  "pitching  into " politicians,  Englishmen,  and  Indians,  Asmodeus 
relates  the  adventures  of  Blanche  Rivingston, 174 

CHAPTER   XIV. 

In  which  Asmodeus  takes  the  reader  to  an  insane  asylum  ;  then  to  a  political 
dub,  which  is  but  "one  remove"  from  the  former,      .....          195 

CHAPTER   XV. 

In  which  the  reader  assists  at  some  religious  services,  intermixed  with  dancing 
and  sundry  recreations, 213 

CHAPTER   XVI. 

Shows  how  and  where  the  good  people  of  New- York  pass  their  evenings  and 
spend  their  money,  with  little  profit  to  their  morals,     .....         238 

CHAPTER    XVII. 
Is  a  serious  one,  and  ends  with  a  catastrophe, 253 

CHAPTER   XVIII. 
In  which  Asmodeus  relates  Dr.  Saunders's  history, 274 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

In  which  Asmodeus,  after  speaking  of  the  way  many  people  live  in  New- York, 
takes  the  reader  to  a  Pythoness, 387 


Contents.  vh 

CHAPTER   XX. 
Shows  the  way  to  recover  a  lost  article,  and  gives  a  pickpocket's  confession,  .        302 

CHAPTER   XXI. 

Contains  a  barber's  authentic  history,  which  exhibits  some  characteristics  of  an 
obsolete  institution, 311 

CHAPTER    XXII. 

Takes  the  reader  to  a  place  where  the  Goddess  Fortune  is  daily  worshiped ; 
and,  after  assisting  at  a  coroner's  inquest,  to  the  house  of  an  aristocratic  family,  344 

CHAPTER    XXIII. 
Contains  a  mendicant  nobleman's  history, 366 

CHAPTER   XXIV. 
And  last.    Asmodeus's  farewell  to  the  reader, 373 


ASMODEUS  IN  NEW- YORK. 


CHAPTER  I. 

WHICH    IS   SOMETHING   LIKE   A   PREFACE. 

[HOEVER  has  read  the  Lame  Devil,  from  Le 
Sage,*  has  very  likely  wondered  at  the  fancy  of 
the  novelist  releasing  a  polite  devil  from  his 
captivity  in  a  vial,  for  the  purpose  of  revealing 
to  the  world  the  mysteries  of  Spanish  society. 

The  poets  of  the  eighteenth  century  yearned  in  song  for 
the  good  old  time  when  people  amused  themselves  with 
fairy  tales ;  and  in  our  own  century  we  are  even  more  in- 
clined to  consider  as  a  mere  fancy  of  the  mind  the  inter- 
ference of  genii,  either  good  or  bad,  in  human  affairs. 

True,  writers  of  olden  times  have  more  than  once  al- 
luded to  Asmodeus.  In  Tobit's  book,  for  instance,  he 
is  made  to  bear  a  not  very  enviable  character,  being 
charged  with  the  murder,  one  after  another,  of  Sarah's 
seven  husbands ;  and  for  that  bloody  performance,  he 
was  pointed  out  as  the  demon  of  divorce,  or  the  evil 
genius  of  marriage.  Tobit  himself  could  only  get  rid  of 

*  Born  in  1668,  died  in  1747.    His  works,  Gil  Bias  and  the  Lame  Devil,  are  among 
the  most  popular  novels  up  to  this  day. 


io  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

this  unwelcome  visitor  by  dint  of  praying  and  fasting.  It 
appears,  also,  that  the  great  King  Solomon  got  into  diffi- 
culty with  the  same  devil.  According  to  the  Talmud,  he 
was  expelled  from  his  kingdom  by  Asmodeus  ;  and  the  au- 
thor or  compiler  of  that  book  is  cautiously  reticent  of  the 
causes  which  brought  on  this  catastrophe,  through  an  ill- 
disguised  fear  of  Asmodeus,  whom  he  calls,  with  every 
mark  of  respect,  the  chief  or  prince  of  demons. 

Those  who  believe  that  Jewish  legends  emanated  from 
God  are,  therefore,  ill-qualified  to  discredit  the  existence 
of  the  personage  we  allude  to,  especially  when  we  consider 
the  remote  times  in  which  the  momentous  events  we  have 
briefly  related  occurred.  On  the  other  hand,  as  the  Mer- 
cure  Galant,  a  French  periodical,  asserted,  in  1707 — the 
year  the  Lame  Devil  was  printed — that  Le  Sage  could 
never  have  written  so  charming  a  work  but  for  the  help 
of  a  supernatural  genius,  one  is  free  to  believe  Asmodeus 
did  really  remove  the  roofs  of  the  houses  of  Seville,  to 
show  to  an  eager  public  what  was  going  on  therein. 

We  admit,  moreover  that  our  hero  has  been  seldom 
heard  of,  either  in  the  Old  or  the  New  World,  for  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  past ;  the  consequence  being,  that  peo- 
ple have  come  to  doubt  whether  he  ever  existed.  What 
he  did  during  that  long  period  of  time  ;  where  he  resided  ; 
the  services,  good  or  bad,  bestowed  by  him  upon  mankind, 
are  circumstances  involved  in  obscurity,  and  which  I  could 
not  learn,  though  enjoying  Asmodeus's  friendship  several 
days. 

That  friendship  and  how  it  happened  are,  after  all,  the 
points  of  interest  for  the  reader  ;  for  to  this  circumstance 
is  due  the  present  work.  So,  dropping  all  needless  disqui- 
sition concerning  the  existence  of  the  prince  of  demons, 
I  will  explain  how  I  became  acquainted  with  Asmodeus. 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  u 

I  had  just  arrived  in  the  commercial  metropolis  of  the 
United  States,  not  for  the  purpose  of  studying  the  manners 
and  institutions  of  that  great  country,  (an  enterprise  which 
had  been  so  successfully  done,  it  seems,  a  few  years  before 
that  it  opened  to  two  young  writers  the  doors  of  the  French 
Academy,)  but — and  I  state  it  plainly — only  to  make 
money.  People  want  plenty  of  elbow-room  in  the  Old 
World ;  and  the  New  offers  to  merchants  and  operatives 
facilities  to  be  found  nowhere  else.  But  with  whatever  en- 
ergy he  has  been  endowed,  no  man  finds  it  easy  to  ac- 
quire wealth  or  achieve  success  in  a  foreign  land.  Every 
thing  is  against  him.  He  struggles  among  men  whose  tra- 
ditions, habits,  and  laws  are  unknown  to  him.  He  feels 
his  way  in  the  dark,  and  often  stumbles  into  pitfalls. 
Guides  for  travelers  haye  been  published  in  every  lan- 
guage, in  both  hemispheres  ;  but  if  any  one  be  enlightened 
as  to  the  roads  he  has  to  follow  and  the  stopping-places 
where  he  may  gratify  his  curiosity,  he  is,  nevertheless,  left 
in  the  dark  as  regards  the  habits  of  the  country  he  goes 
through.  Their  institutions  themselves  remain  a  dead  let- 
ter for  want  of  opportunity  to  see  them  in  operation,  as  the 
most  ingenuous  commentaries  leave  too  often  in  unpreju- 
diced minds  false  or  exaggerated  notions.  In  our  age,  the 
fight  for  a  living  is  difficult  everywhere  ;  a  great  deal  more 
so  when  carried  on  in  a  strange  land,  and  against  adversa- 
ries to  whom  a  knowledge  of  their  native  country  and  its 
wants  secures,  almost  to  a  certainty,  the  prize. 

Now,  while  I  was  thinking  over  the  adventurous  spirit 
which  drives,  nowadays,  so  many  young  men  from  their 
native  land,  and  wishing  to  possess  some  magical  power 
through  which  I  could  detect  the  weak  points  of  those 
among  whom  I  was  destined  to  live,  somebody  knocked 
at  my  door,  and  I  saw  coming  in 


12  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

ASMODEUS ! 

Such,  at  least,  was  the  name  by  which  the  individual 
who  interrupted  my  meditations  introduced  himself ;  and 
on  hearing  this  name,  which  has  so  conspicuously  figured 
in  both  ancient  and  modern  literature,  I  stared  with  aston- 
ishment at  the  stranger.  He  had  all  those  peculiarities  of 
figure  and  countenance  that  tradition  gives  to  Asmodeus — 
a  mocking  smile,  a  small  stature,  and  a  queer  though 
tasteful  dress.  He  was  leaning  on  a  stick — a  needful 
companion,  as  I  supposed,  for  his  claudication.  He  sub- 
mitted awhile  to  my  examination,  and  then  said : 

"I  am  Asmodeus — the  same  that  conducted  a  favorite 
novelist  through  the  labyrinth  of  human  passions.  Euro- 
pean people  and  their  vices  have  been  so  often  depicted, 
that  in  America  only  we  may  expect  to  find  something  new. 
Yet,  even  here,  new  pictures  of  society  are  not  easily  taken, 
as  mankind  is  nearly  the  same  everywhere.  Whatever 
be  its  climate,  we  find  the  same  passions,  vices,  and  faults, 
in  every  country.  The  complexion  changes,  the  blood  is 
more  or  less  colored,  but  the  passions  that  burn  under  our 
mortal  envelope  are  nearly  identical,  whether  men  lire 
near  the  frozen  seas  or  by  the  banks  of  the  Orinoco.  Still, 
in  spite  of  hundreds  of  books  published  at  home  and 
abroad,  the  United  States  are  little  known,  and  no  coun- 
try, on  account  of  its  future  greatness,  deserves  to  be  more 
closely  surveyed.  The  task,  I  admit,  is  not  an  easy  one  ; 
for  American  society  likes  to  enshroud  all  its  actions,  good 
or  bad,  in  mystery,  and  it  especially  distrusts  foreigners. 
When  Americans  condescend  to  show  themselves,  it  is 
with  the  expectation  that  the  observer  will  be  favorably 
impiessed.  You  wish  to  know  something  of  the  doings 
and  feelings  of  a  people  among  whom  you  have  resolved 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  13 

to  settle.  "Come  along,  then,  with  me ;  I  will  show  them 
as  naked  as  was  Truth  when  emerging  from  the  well.  I 
care  little  whether  I  am  pointed  out  as  a  good  or  bad 
spirit ;  I  shall  be  satisfied  if  I  succeed  in  amusing  and 
teaching  the  reader.  Such  was  the  run  for  the  book  I 
suggested  to  Le  Sage  in  the  last  century,  that  two  young 
men  fought  a  duel  for  the  possession  of  the  last  copy. 
But  it  is  not  for  me  to  promise  you  the  same  infatuation 
from  the  public  for  the  work  that  will  reflect,  as  in  a 
trusty  mirror,  our  strollings  in  New- York.  The  present 
generation  is  dull,  and  soon  becomes  tired  of  every  new 
thing.  I  am  well  aware  of  it ;  and  it  remains  to  be  seen 
how  they  will  welcome  the  name  of  a  devil  whose  mirth 
their  forefathers  so  much  enjoyed." 

I  eagerly  availed  myself  of  the  proffered  opportunity  to 
become  at  once  acquainted  with  the  men  and  things  of 
the  New  World ;  and  as  Asmodeus  warned  me  we  should 
visit  the  mansions  of  the  wealthy,  as  well  as  the  abodes  of 
vice  and  misery,  I  hastily  threw  a  cloak  over  my  best 
clothes,  and  went  out  with  my  unexpected  and  obliging 
guide. 


CHAPTER  II. 

WHICH     SHOWS   AT   WHAT    COST    LUXURY   IS     OBTAINED   IN 
NEW-YORK. 

OU  are  the  Count  of  Montgomery,"  said  Asmo- 
deus,  knocking  at  the  door  of  a  splendid  resi- 
dence situated  in  one  of  the  principal  avenues 
of  New- York.  "A  title  of  nobility  has  a  pleas- 
ant sound  in  this  country,  which  boasts  of  democratic  insti- 
tutions. As  for  the  name  you  assume,  nobody  will  quarrel 
with  you  about  it ;  for  heraldic  science  is  very  limited 
among  men  unincumbered  with  a  nobility  ;  and  besides, 
every  body  takes  up,  as  a  matter  of  course,  whatever  name 
suits  him.  Not  a  few  even  change  that  commodity  as  often 
as  their  linen.  We  have  Washingtons  and  La  Fayettes  by  the 
dozen,  their  number  being  quite  as  large  as  the  innumerable 
Smiths  and  Browns.  Another  peculiarity  of  the  American 
people  deserves  also  to  be  noticed  :  many  a  father  names 
his  son,  besides  his  Christian  name,  after  either  a  friend, 
benefactor,  or  some  great  man,  dead  or  living.  When  two 
or  three  generations  have  passed  away,  the  family  name  is 
lost  sight  of,  and  the  other,  more  pleasing  or  better  known, 
holds  its  ground.  It  is  in  that  way  we  have  in  the  United 
States  so  many  families  who  delight  in  the  name  of  Wash- 
ington— not  to  speak  of  other  famous  names — though  in 
reality  they  have  no  blood  relation  with  the  founder  of  the 
great  republic." 

We  entered.     The  lady  of  the  house,  richly  attired  in  a 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  15 

silver-brocaded  dress  and  wearing  a  crown  of  diamonds, 
very  kindly  welcomed  us,  thanking  Asmodeus  for  bringing 
in  a  distinguished  stranger.  The  introduction  over,  we 
mingled  with  the  crowd,  and  went  through  the  rooms 
opened  to  the  guests,  while  the  lady  led  to  an  adjacent 
room  a  few  female  friends,  to  show  them  her  necklaces, 
rings,  bracelets,  and  other  jewels. 

"  American  ladies,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  avail  themselves 
of  every  opportunity  to  exhibit  their  treasures,  down  to 
their  silver,  china,  and  linen.  They  are  fond  of  jewels,  the 
most  showy  being  especially  in  favor.  But  I  would  not  war- 
rant that  all  those  gems  that  flash  in  the  gaslight  are  genu- 
ine stones.  There  is  such  a  demand  now  for  California 
diamonds  that,  very  likely,  many  sets  now  adorning  the 
wives  of  lucky  speculators  are  mingled  with  worthless  imi- 
tations. Time  is  necessary  to  learn  how  to  distinguish 
precious  stones  from  spurious  ones,  and  few  persons  can 
devote  as  much  leisure  as  did  yonder  Jew  banker  in  col- 
lecting pearls,  the  smallest  of  which  in  his  possession  is 
worth  twenty  thousand  dollars.  He  recently  gave  to  his 
wife  a  necklace  made  up  of  twenty  of  such  pearls,  and 
their  number  increases  every  year." 

In  the  mean  while,  dancing  had  commenced  in  several 
spacious  rooms ;  in  others,  card-playing  was  being  in- 
dulged in.  Servants,  wearing  black  garments  and  white 
neckties,  were  busy  carrying  refreshments  around.  Many 
persons,  preferring  the  pleasures  of  eating  to  those  of  play- 
ing or  dancing,  were  seated  in  another  room  at  a  table  load- 
ed with  meats  and  delicacies.  Next  to  this,  another  room, 
elegantly  furnished,  was  crowded  with  young  and  old  men, 
indulging  in  smoking.  Boxes  of  cigars  were  piled  up  on 
elegant  ktageres ;  and  I  noticed  that  many  a  smoker,  be- 
sides the  cigar  he  was  smoking,  filled  his  pocket  with  that 


1 6  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

luxury.  While  going  through  the  several  rooms  opened  to 
the  public,  Asmodeus  called  my  attention  to  their  costly 
furniture.  Some  of  these  rooms  were  lined  with  fine  bro- 
catel,  imported  from  France  and  Italy,  China  and  Japan, 
the  latter  conspicuous  for  their  fantastical  drawings  and 
patterns  ;  others  with  Persian  and  Indian  cloths  ;  and  the 
several  pieces  of  furniture  were  of  unexceptionable  taste. 
Some  were  inlaid  with  gold,  bronze,  or  China  ;  some  were 
made  up  of  rosewood  artistically  carved.  Gems  of  art 
and  curiosities  of  every  description  were  displayed  upon 
etageres  ;  and  through  the  house,  made  bright  as  day  by 
hundreds  of  gaslights,  one  walked  on  soft,  smooth  carpets 
of  the  best  manufactures  of  Europe.  They  alone  were 
worth  a  fortune. 

Amazed  at  such  luxury,  exceeding  that  of  many  a  patri- 
cian family  in  Europe,  I  thought  our  Amphitryon  was  either 
one  of  those  wealthy  merchants  whose  ships  carry  the 
American  flag  over  the  broad  ocean,  or  those  manufactur- 
ers who  build  up  enormous  fortunes  at  the  expense  of  the 
public. 

"  You  are  mistaken,"  said  Asmodeus.  "  We  will  call,  by 
and  by,  on  one  of  those  merchant-princes  you  allude  to. 
For  the  present  we  are  in  the  house  of  one  of  Juno's  priest- 
esses. You  are  aware,  Juno  was  called  Lucina  when  she 
superintended  the  birth  of  children.  But  the  lady  who  has 
welcomed  us  so  kindly  is  far  from  assisting  in  the  birth  of 
children  ;  her  calling,  on  the  contrary,  is  to  prevent  it ;  she 
practices  infanticide  every  day,  and  it  is  by  carrying  on 
this  business  she  has  obtained  the  wealth  she  is  making  so 
great  a  display  of.  Every  one  of  those  window-shades,  so 
nicely  arranged  to  ward  off  the  rays  of  the  sun,  cost  one 
thousand  dollars.  They  were  painted  by  our  best  artists, 
none  of  them  having  declined  to  display  his  talent  for  the 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  17 

benefit  of  Madame  Killer — such  is  the  name  of  the  owner 
of  this  splendid  residence.  As  there  are  thirty  windows, 
you  may  easily  figure  up  the  cost  of  those  gorgeous  shades. 
That  of  all  the  furniture  is  in  the  same  proportion :  every 
piece  of  it,  I  dare  say,  has  been  purchased  with  the  money 
received  for  the  murder  of  a  child." 

Bewildered  at  these  revelations,  I  thought  Asmodeus  was 
deceiving  me.  He  quietly  continued  : 

"  That  stout  gentleman,  going  from  one  to  another,  and 
making  himself  affable  with  every  body,  who  looks  like  a 
good-natured  person,  and  whose  unctuous  manners  remind 
one  of  a  clergyman,  is  the  husband  of  Madame  Killer.  He 
is  an  accomplished  scholar,  and  has  obtained  his  diploma 
from  one  of  our  best  medical  colleges.  He  might  have 
obtained  a  competency  by  honest  practice.  But  when  Ma- 
dame Killer,  already  enriched  through  her  nefarious  busi- 
ness, hinted  that  she  was  disposed  to  marry  him,  Bungling 
eagerly  took  the  hint,  and  espoused  this  abortionist. 

"  Of  course,  after  the  marriage,  Madame  Killer  retained 
her  own  name,  as  it  was  already  a  notorious  one.  Love, 
you  may  be  sure,  had  nothing  to  do  with  this  matrimonial 
transaction.  Madame  Killer  married  Bungling  because 
his  science  might  be  of  some  service  in  many  delicate  cir- 
cumstances— in  about  the  same  way  a  merchant  takes  in  a 
partner  when  he  has  too  much  to  do.  The .  couple  have 
been  uniformly  prosperous  since  they  married,  about  ten 
years  ago.  True,  they  had  two  or  three  unpleasant  mis- 
understandings with  the  police  on  account  of  a  few  poor 
creatures  dying  of  ill-treatment  at  their  hands  ;  but  they 
came  out  of  all  of  them  triumphantly." 

"  Must  I  infer  from  this  that  the  laws  of  America  do  not 
punish  infanticide  ?"  said  I,  "  that  fearful  crime  of  getting 
rid  of  children  before  or  after  their  natural  birth.  Even 


1 8  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

the  unfortunate  who  stakes  her  life  to  conceal  the  conse- 
quences of  a  fault  is  amenable  to  law ;  she  is  punished  for 
child-murder,  as  well  as  her  accomplice,  in  every  civilized 
country." 

"  By  and  by,"  answered  Asmodeus,  "  I  will  explain  that 
subject  to  you.  I  will  content  myself,  for  the  present, 
by  saying  that  the  laws  of  America  are  no  less  severe  than 
those  of  Europe,  as  regards  the  crimes  of  infanticide  and 
abortion.  But  in  such  cases,  as  well  as  in  many  others, 
the  law  often  remains  a  dead  letter." 

I  longed  to  depart  from  the  house.  I  fancied,  after  As- 
modeus's  frightful  revelations,  the  very  air  we  breathed 
was  impregnated  with  deadly  miasma.  Dancing  had  been 
interrupted  for  a  while ;  and  in  a  hall,  connected  with  a 
conservatory  filled  with  rare  and  odoriferous  plants,  a 
concert  was  beginning.  Every  note  from  a  sonorous  piano 
sounded  in  my  ear  like  the  wailing  of  one  of  those  poor 
little  beings  the  Amphitryons  had  brought  to  an  untimely 
death.  And  then,  of  what  character  were  those  women, 
crowding  the  rooms,  in  spite  of  the  crumpling  of  their 
splendid  dresses  ?  Who  were  those  men,  who  had  either 
accompanied  or  were  courting  them  ? 

"  You  are  quite  mistaken,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  if  you  be- 
lieve we  are  in  the  midst  of  a  mixed  crowd,  such  as  that 
denominated  the  demi-monde  in  the  French  capital,  and  not 
tolerated,  as  yet,  at  private  receptions  here,  or  at  places  of 
public  resort.  To  be  sure,  what  is  called  the  social  evil 
unfortunately  exists  in  New- York  as  in  the  targe  cities  of 
Europe  ;  but  it  keeps  aloof  from  decent  society.  It  is 
true,  that  such  is  the  discretion  of  corrupt  females,  it  is 
often  impossible  to  distinguish  an  honest  woman  from  one 
who  has  lost  her  chastity.  Of  course,  I  do  not  speak  of 
those  creatures  so  deeply  fallen  into  habits  of  corruption 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  19 

that  they  shrink  no  longer  from  exhibiting  their  degrada- 
tion. Perhaps  we  shall  have  an  opportunity  of  visiting 
the  backgrounds  of  our  civilization,  where  those  wretched 
creatures  live.  For  the  present,  I  must  set  you  right  con- 
cerning the  standing  in  society  of  the  guests  of  this  house. 
"  Most  of  those  men,  who  so  often  appreciate  the  good 
things  served  around  by  the  waiters,  are  wealthy  merchants, 
lawyers,  and  physicians.  I  even  recognize  among  them  a 
few  magistrates  and  legislators.  They  have  accompanied 
their  wives ;  and  some  even  have  brought  their  daughters 
to  this  dreadful  house,  where  some  unfortunate  woman  is, 
perhaps,  dying  in  the  upper  story,  and  paying  with  her  life 
the  violation  of  nature's  laws.  Some  guests  have  come 
through  curiosity,  attracted  by  the  splendors  of  a  residence 
opened  for  the  first  time  to  the  gaze  of  strangers.  Others 
have  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity  of  gayly  spend- 
ing here  a  few  idle  hours,  and  do  not  trouble  themselves 
with  the  Amphitryons'  respectability.  Lastly,  many  guests 
did  not  deem  it  safe  to  decline  Madame  Killer's  invita- 
tion ;  for  that  Thug  of  society  holds  in  her  hands  the 
honor  of  hundreds  of  families,  and  it  would  be  dangerous 
to  arouse  her  resentment.  A  single  word  from  her  lips, 
some  well-concocted  story,  would  bring  on  awful  scandals. 
She  could,  for  instance,  apprise  yonder  husband,  so  atten- 
tive to  his  wife,  that  the  latter,  during  the  two  years  he  has 
served  his  country  abroad,  has  applied  to  Madame  Killer's 
art  to  remove  the  consequences  of  an  adulterous  intrigue. 
That  young  man  who  has  just  inherited  a  large  estate,  and 
seems  so  much  enamoured  of  that  light-haired  young  lady, 
might  learn  to-morrow  morning,  through  an  anonymous 
letter,  that  the  fair  beauty,  instead  of  spending,  as  he  be- 
lieves she  did,  the  summer  months  in  the  country,  had 
secreted  herself  in  Madame  Killer's  hospitable  house. 


2O  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

"  Undoubtedly,  the  dread  of  some  awful  revelation  has 
brought  here  many  persons,  as  out  of  five  hundred  invited 
guests  only  a  few  do  not  attend  Madame  Killer's  soiree. 
But  I  am  far  from  believing  that  they  would  not  have 
come  under  any  circumstances,  even  had  they  been  free 
from  fear  of  personal  consequences.  Madame  Killer 
is  wealthy,  and  nobody  cares  about  the  way  she  has 
obtained  her  wealth.  Whoever  is  worth  one  million  dol- 
lars, no  matter  how  acquired,  honestly  or  dishonestly, 
is  welcome  everywhere,  and  his  soirees  and  receptions 
are  attended  by  the  best  society.  I  see,  for  instance, 
talking  with  Madame  Killer,  a  merchandise  broker,  whose 
name  was  given  to  a  ship  launched  this  very  morning, 
and  who  would  be  shut  out  of  decent  society  in  any  other 
country.  Three  years  ago,  he  failed  to  the  amount  of  two 
or  three  millions  of  dollars.  According  to  his  balance- 
sheet,  he  could  pay  fifty  cents  on  the  dollar ;  but  when 
his  book-keeper  joyfully  informed  his  employer  of  such  an 
unexpected  result,  '  Change  it,  by  all  means,'  exclaimed 
the  broker;  'my  creditors  do  not  expect  even  fifteen  cents 
on  the  dollar,  and  were  I  to  give  them  fifty,  what  benefit 
would  I  derive  from  my  failure  ?'  And  he  paid  ten  cents 
only  on  the  dollar. 

"  Near  that  honest  broker,  who  has  become  wealthy  in 
consequence  of  that  transaction,  and  at  the  same  time  a 
man  of  importance,  being  now  a  director  of  a  trust  com- 
pany and  other  concerns,  see  that  young  man  wearing 
side-whiskers,  after  the  English  fashion.  His  light  hair 
and  blue  eyes  denote  his  German  origin.  He  is  an  ex- 
change broker,  and  made  two  hundred  thousand  dollars 
last  year  in  this  quick  way :  Pretending  to  have  realized 
large  profits  in  stock-gambling,  he  succeeded  in  inspiring 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  21 

such  confidence  in  the  president  of  one  of  our  most  re- 
spectable banks,  where  he  kept  his  account,  that  his  checks 
were  indiscriminately  certified  by  that  officer.  One  check 
for  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  was  in  that  way  certified, 
and  the  money  had  just  been  paid  out  to  a  compeer,  when 
the  directors  of  the  bank  discovered  the  adventurer  had 
but  a  small  deposit  in  their  hands.  He  failed  the  next 
day,  and  the  president,  who  had  rashly  caused  a  heavy  loss 
to  the  bank,  blew  out  his  own  brains. 

"  The  guest  who  is  making  his  bow  to  the  lady  of  the 
house  was  formerly  secretary  of  one  of  our  railroad  com- 
panies. The  stock  had  gone  up  one  hundred  per  cent 
above  par,  on  the  strength  of  the  managers'  report,  exhibit- 
ing the  prosperous  condition  of  the  company's  affairs,  when 
an  over-issue  of  stock,  to  the  amount  of  two  millions  of 
dollars,  was  detected.  To  satisfy  the  public  clamor,  the 
secretary  and  another  officer  of  the  company  were  dis- 
charged. But  all  inquiry  respecting  this  stupendous  fraud 
was  indefinitely  postponed.  The  discharged  employees  of 
the  company  now  live  in  high  style,  and  give  parties, 
which  their  former  employers,  the  directors  of  the  railroad 
concern,  do  not  fail  to  attend. 

"  Next  to  him,  that  dandy  who  is  talking  with  a  gentle- 
man whose  beard,  though  he  is  a  judge  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  might  grace  the  chin  of  a  musketeer,  is  a  wealthy 
banker's  son.  „  He  is  fresh  from  the  State's  prison ;  and, 
strange  indeed,  the  magistrate  he  is  speaking  to  is  the  very 
one  who  sentenced  him — perhaps,  because  of  the  pressure  of 
public  opinion,  which  must,  after  all,  be  taken  into  consi- 
deration. Our  dandy,  when  his  father  retired,  became  sole 
manager  of  a  banking-house,  and  attempted  to  double,  in 
a  few  weeks,  the  wealth  his  father  had  toiled  thirty  years 
to  accumulate.  Discarding  legitimate  speculation,  he 


22  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

_  gambled  at  the  Stock  Exchange,  which  soon  swallowed 
up  the  money  and  other  deposits  confided  to  his  keeping. 
Then  he  became  almost  crazy.  To  keep  up  his  credit 
with  our  banks  and  procure  resources,  and  led  astray  by 
the  hope  of  realizing  profits  large  enough  to  make  up  his 
losses,  he  became  a  forger.  He  imitated  the  signatures  of 
his  correspondents,  his  own  friends — in  fact,  of  every  body 
in  town ;  and,  one  morning,  the  people  were  startled  in 
reading  in  the  newspapers  that  forged  notes,  amounting  to 
several  millions  of  dollars,  were  flooding  the  street.  The 
young  man  was  sentenced  to  prison  for  a  term  of  five 
years — one  for  each  forged  million,  as  remarked  the  wag 
who  is  now  talking  with  him." 

"  How  is  it  he  is  out  of  prison  ?" 

"  That  is  precisely  a  point  of  American  law  which  de- 
serves a  passing  notice.  Most  of  the  State  governors  are 
ve'sted  with  the  pardoning  power.  When  the  exercise  of 
such  a  prerogative  devolves  upon  State  legislatures,  corrupt- 
ing influences  are  less  to  be  apprehended.  A  single  indi- 
vidual may  be  coaxed  to  pardon  by  his  political  friends,  or 
even  bribed.  But  money  and  political  connections  are  of 
little  avail  when  one  has  to  deal  with  one  hundred  legisla- 
tors. In  New- York  State,  the  Legislature  has  no  control 
over  the  pardoning  power,  which  is  vested  exclusively  in 
the  governor.  The  family  and  friends  of  that  youth  rep- 
resented his  crime,  stupendous  as  it  was,  as  the  first  he  had 
ever  committed ;  its  enormity  was  represented  as  a  proof 
of  temporary  insanity — the  great  argument,  nowadays,  of 
our  lawyers — and  he  was  set  free  by  the  governor,  after 
remaining  a  few  months  in  prison.  He  shows  himself 
again  among  the  wealthy  classes,  and  is  as  kindly  received 
by  them  as  he  would  have  been  had  he  never  forged  notes 
to  the  amount  of  several  millions  of  dollars — so  deeply 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  23 

rooted  in  the  American  people  is  the  feeling  of  tolerance, 
and  especially  when  those  who  are  the  objects  of  it  are 
millionaires,  or  in  a  fair  way  to  become  so. 

"  Among  the  fair  sex  here,  many  ladies  really  deserve 
that  name  from  their  decency — curiosity  alone  has  attracted 
them ;  but  the  dresses  of  many  others,  the  most  ele- 
gantly attired,  have  not  been  paid  for  by  their  husbands' 
money.  How  could  it  be  otherwise,  when  most  of  them 
spend,  in  tinsel  and  jewels  alone,  the  salary  of  those  poor 
men,  or  the  profits  of  their  business  ?  I  firmly  believe  that 
out  of  the  three  hundred  male  guests,  one  half  of  them  earn 
hardly  two  thousand  dollars  per  annum — about  the  rent  of 
the  houses  they  live  in  ;  and  how  they  are  enabled  to  face 
their  other  expenses  is  a  problem  which  Euclid  himself 
could  not  solve.  I  apprehend,  also,  that  more  than  one 
of  those  fair  young  girls  knows  the  way  to  those  fashion- 
able houses  where  foolish  women,  to  satisfy  their  passion 
for  luxury,  jeopardize  their  chastity.  Others  have,  through 
correspondence  carried  on  in  our  newspapers,  entered  into 
some  intrigue,  the  end  of  which,  perhaps,  will  be  an  un- 
pleasant confinement  in  this  house.  But,  contrary  to  what 
takes  place  in  many  countries,  where  men  complacently 
boast  of  their  amours  with  the  fair  sex,  affairs  of  love  are 
kept  here  sedulously  shrouded  in  mystery- — a  progress 
anyhow,  as  it  is  a  homage  paid  by  vice  to  virtue  and  de- 
cency. Lovelaces  and  Celadons  are  far  from  having  free 
scope  in  America.  Women,  when  their  honor,  whether 
justly  or  unjustly,  has  been  assailed,  do  not  shrink  from 
any  means  to  protect  it  and  avenge  themselves.  Some 
cowhide  the  indiscreet  suitor;  others  seek  even  in  his 
blood  a  retaliation  for  a  real  or  imaginary  insult. 

"  Public  opinion  ranges,  in  general,  on  the  side  of  the 
fair  sex,  and  the  courts  side  with  public  opinion,  when,  in 


24  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

a  case  of  seduction  or  of  a  breach  of  promise,  the  victims 
have  recourse  to  them.  Lovers  are,  therefore,  affected  with 
a  salutary  dumbness — being  aware  that  their  lives  or  for- 
tunes are  at  stake,  in  case  of  any  indiscretion.  Add  to  this, 
that  when  an  insulted  wife,  or  a  young  girl  whose  prospects 
have  been  marred  by  a  villain's  treason,  does  not  strive 
to  vindicate  her  honor,  her  part  is  infallibly  taken  by  a  hus- 
band, a  father,  a  brother,  or  even  a  cousin.  The  avenger 
provides  himself  with  one  of  those  pretty  revolvers  exhi- 
bited at  all  jewelers',  and  even  in  druggists'  show-cases, 
and  shoots  down  the  defamer  or  seducer  in  broad  daylight — 
even  on  the  Sabbath-day,  on  the  very  steps  of  a  church, 
as  happened  at  the  Federal  capital  a  few  years  ago. 
True,  the  murderer  is  prosecuted ;  but  the  jurors  general- 
ly consider  as  justifiable  murder  the  killing  of  a  man  for 
the  above  causes.  And,  in  most  cases,  the  man  who  has 
shed  the  blood  of  a  fellow-creature  reappears  in  society 
with  an  increase  of  popularity." 

At  this  moment,  we  noticed  some  excitement  among  a 
few  young  ladies  standing  near  a  songstress  who  had  just 
been  rapturously  applauded.  A  gentleman  of  command- 
ing appearance,  but  deadly  pale,  was  speaking  to  her  in  a 
tone  loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  those  standing  by.  "  You 
are  certainly  much  indebted  to  Madame  Killer,"  said  the 
gentleman ;  "  but  I  wonder  how  you  can  sing  in  a  house 
where  you  brought  to  an  untimely  death  an  innocent  be- 
ing !"  And  bowing  graciously  to  Madame  Killer,  he  dis- 
appeared among  the  bewildered  assembly. 

"  Ah !"  said  Asmodeus,  with  a  sarcastic  smile  ;  "  the 
songstress's  husband  is  dissatisfied  with  meeting  her  at 
Madame  Killer's  ;  and  this  occurrence  spoils  that  excel- 
lent person's  party !  Let  us  go  ;  we  can  do  nothing 
•nore  here,  and  have  time  enough  to  visit  one  of  those 


Asmodeus  in  New-York.  25 

merchant  princes,  as  we  call  here  traders  who  become 
millionaires,  whom  you  alluded  to,  a  few  moments  ago. 
And  I  purpose,  as  we  go  along,  to  relate  to  you  the  his- 
tory of  the  pair  whose  meeting  has  somewhat  disturbed 
this  partv." 


CHAPTER  III. 


IN  WHICH  ASMODEUS,  AFTER  ADVERTING  TO  SOME  CON- 
TRADICTIONS IN  THE  AMERICAN  CHARACTER,  BEGINS 
HELENA  RONFORT'S  HISTORY. 

EOPLE,  as  individuals,"  said  Asmodeus,  snuff- 
ing the  bracing  air  of  the  street,  "  exhibit  con- 
tinual inconsistencies  between  their  doings 
and  their  principles.  Take,  for  instance,  the 
Americans,  who  have  inherited  from  the  English  a  digni- 
fied prudery ;  who  go  to  church  every  Sunday ;  and,  ser- 
vice over,  sing  hymns  at  home  the  rest  of  the  day ;  who 
prohibit  traveling  on  Sunday,  and  close  up  inns  and  tav- 
erns for  the  sake  of  keeping  the  Sabbath,  as  that  day  of 
rest  is  called  in  Protestant  countries.  Again,  were  we 
to  believe  this  young  nation's  panegyrists,  all  and  every 
American  family  is  a  sanctum  of  purity;  for  whatever 
scandal  or  crime  is  served  up  to  the  public  by  the  morn- 
ing papers  is  invariably  attributed  to  foreigners.  Well, 
on  reading  those  same  dailies,  one  is  struck  at  the  audacity 
and  nakedness  of  their  advertisements ;  at  the  impudent 
transactions  carried  on  through  their  columns.  Were  we 
to  admit  that  style  is  the  man  himself,  according  to  a  pro- 
found thinker,  might  we  not  infer  that  the  press  is  the  mir- 
ror of  a  people's  morals  ?  It  is  customary  with  American 
journalists  to  speak  contemptuously  of  the  miserable  con- 


Asmodeus  in  New-York.  27 

dition  of  European  populations  ;  to  deride  their  habits  and 
traditions ;  to  scoff  at  their  corruption  and  moral  decay. 
Still,  in  no  country  of  Europe  would  newspapers  dare  to 
insert  such  indecent  advertisements  as  those  that  disgrace 
the  American,  dailies  ;  and  from  which  it  might  be  inferred 
that  there  is  no  true  appreciation,  in  the  United  States,  of 
decency;  of  reverence  for  law  and  religion;  of  those  re- 
fining influences  which  govern  human  conduct  elsewhere. 
Nowhere  in  the  Old  World  would  a  quack  doctress  be  al- 
lowed to  inform  the  public  that  her  profession  consists  in 
preventing  the  natural  birth  of  children  and  thwarting  the 
laws  of  nature.  That  such  a  nefarious  business  is  profit- 
able and  extensive,  is  clearly  shown  by  those  very  adver- 
tisements. Independently  of  the  cause,  common  to  all 
countries,  which  explains,  though  it  does  not  justify,  the 
crime  of  infanticide — I  mean  the  desire  to  conceal  the 
consequences  of  a  fault — it  seems  that  another  has  greatly 
contributed,  within  a  few  years  past,  to  increase  that  fear- 
ful crime — I  mean  the  fear  of  bringing  up  numerous  chil- 
dren. In  the  New-England  States,  the  number  of  children 
for  each  family,  which  was  generally  five  before  the  War  of 
Independence,  is  to-day  but  two.  Many  women,  to  satis- 
fy their  love  of  luxury,  undoubtedly  prefer  to  spend  for 
finery  the  money  that  should  go  toward  bringing  up  their 
little  ones,  and  are  thus  led  by  degrees  to  silence  their 
conscience,  and,  finally,  to  offend  the  laws  of  nature. 
They  even  boast  of  their  skill  and  success  in  violating 
those  laws,  when  exchanging  confidences  with  their 
friends ;  which  fact  goes  far  to  prove  that  the  standard 
of  morals  is  very  low,  at  least  in  large  cities. 

"If  I  had  any  desire  to  dwell  upon  such  a  subject,  what 
details  could  I  give  concerning  many  lying-in  establish- 
ments, whose  advertisements  are  a  puzzle  to  those  not  in- 


28  Asmodeus  in  New-York. 

itiated  in  the  mysteries  of  the  present  age  !  When  unsus- 
pecting persons  read,  for  instance,  in  the  dailies,  that  in- 
fants are  wanted  for  adoption,  how  could  they  imagine 
those  benevolent  advertisers  are  but  debased  creatures, 
whose  business  it  is  to  bring  slowly  but  surely  to  their 
graves  innocent  beings  whose  birth  was  a  shame — whose 
bringing  up  would  be  a  burden  to  their  mothers  ?" 

"  Asmodeus,"  said  I,  "  while  you  are  thus  indulging  in 
this  philanthropic  dissertation,  you  forget  that  you  pro- 
mised me  the  songstress's  history." 

"  I  am  coming  to-it.  You  will  see,  after  all,  this  disser- 
tation, as  you  are  pleased  to  call  my  observations  on  con- 
flicting notions  in  American  character  and  morals,  has 
some  bearing  on  the  following  narrative. 

HELENA  RONFORT'S  HISTORY. 

"  The  name  of  the  young  lady  whose  singing  was  so  ab- 
ruptly interrupted  at  Madame  Killer's  is  Helena.  The 
gentleman  who  interrupted  her  is  her  husband,  Edward 
Ronfort.  Helena  belongs  to  one  of  the  most  ancient 
families  of  New-York — if  we  may  call  ancient  those  fami- 
lies whose  origin  can  not  be  traced  beyond  three  or  four 
generations.  And  it  is  so  with  all  American  families 
boasting  of  their  antiquity.  There  are  some  who  attempt 
to  trace  their  origin  beyond  the  settlement  of  the  English 
colonies  in  North-America,  and  claim  for  their  ancestors 
some  of  William  the  Conqueror's  followers.  But  such  pre- 
tensions can  not  stand  a  critical  examination.  The  found- 
ers of  the  English  colonies,  with  few  exceptions,  belonged 
to  the  needy  and,  in  some  cases,  to  the  most  dangerous 
classes  of  society ;  and  it  may  be  doubted  whether  any  one 
among  them,  when  coming  over  to  find  a  new  home,  on  a 


Asmodeus  in  New-York.  29 

new  continent,  ever  thought  of  providing  himself  with  a 
pedigree  or  genealogical  table. 

"  The  origin  of  those  American  families  the  proudest  of 
their  birth  is,  therefore,  of  comparatively  recent  date,  the 
aristocratic  pretensions  of  Helena's  parents  to  the  contrary 
notwithstanding.  They  assert  themselves  to  be  upon  an 
equality  with  the  oldest  stocks  of  the  mother  country,  and 
they  hold  social  intercourse  only  with  the  few  descendants, 
most  of  them  wealthy,  of  those  Dutch  colonists  who  set- 
tled in  the  State  of  New-York  over  two  hundred  years 
ago,  with  some  Southern  planters  who  contrived  to  save 
their  fortunes  through  all  political  commotions,  and  with  a 
few  families  whose  members  have  occupied  high  offices  in 
the  Federal  or  State  administration.  They  have  formed  out 
of  these  varied  elements  a  small  colony,  a  sort  of  China, 
in  the  midst  of  the  New-Yorkers.  They  compose  what  is 
called,  in  the  upper  part  of  the  city,  the  crime  de  la  creme  of 
society.  As  far  as  possible,  they  marry  among  themselves, 
after  the  Jewish  fashion,  and  at  their  parties  receive  only 
foreigners  of  noble  birth.  Their  servants  are  trained  to 
wear  a  livery — a  modest  one,  it  is  true ;_  for  the  Ameri- 
can people  would  no  more  tolerate  to-day  than  in  the  times 
of  President  Adams  servants  gorgeously  and  ridiculously 
liveried,  as  is  customary  with  the  English  aristocracy  and 
petty  German  potentates.  It  is  the  fashion  with  them  to 
ridicule  republican  institutions,  and  in  the  secret  of  their 
hearts  they  long  for  those  of  monarchical  Europe.  They 
are,  in  fine,  what  may  be  termed  American  Bourbons. 

"  None  among  them  shows  more  scorn  and  disdain  for 
the  working  classes  than  Helena's  father.  He  is  fond  of 
luxury,  and  his  success  in  business  permits  him  to  keep  his 
house  in  fine  style.  He  is  president  of  a  wealthy  bank  ; 
and  it  was  more  than  once  surmised  he  uses  the  bank's 


30  Asmodeus  in  New-York. 

money  for  personal  speculations.  If  so,  he  is  only  doing, 
after  all,  what  two  thousand  bank  managers  of  the  country) 
who  form  a  privileged  class  and  fatten  on  immunities 
detrimental  to  industry  and  commerce,  have  done  before 
him. 

"  The  president's  children  were  brought  up  in  the  way 
the  offsprings  of  wealthy  families  generally  are  in  the  Uni- 
ted States — that  is,  in  the  midst  of  all  the  enjoyments  wealth 
can  afford,  and  with  the  privileges  of  an  unbounded  free- 
dom. European  observers  often  wonder  at  the  weakness 
of  paternal  power  in  the  United  States,  and  at  the  loose- 
ness of  family  ties.  But  they  forget  that  a  family's  internal 
discipline  reflects  everywhere  a  nation's  political  institu- 
tions. With  the  Romans,  as  long  as  institutions  which 
were  republican  but  in  name  were  in  existence,  the  pater- 
nal power  was  unrestricted  ;  and  such  it  remained,  by  the 
force  of  tradition,  even  after  the  imperial  form  was  sub- 
stituted for  an  aristocratic  republic.  Wherever  the  Ro- 
mans carried  their  flag,  the  paternal  power  knew  no  limit ; 
and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  it  was  so  during  mediaeval  or 
feudal  times.  In  North-America,  neither  an  aristocracy 
nor  an  oligarchy  was  ever  known.  The  first  settlers 
adopted  everywhere  a  popular  form  of  government ;  and 
at  the  time  the  war  with  the  mother  country  took  place, 
the  habits  of  the  colonists  were  so  imbued  with  democratic 
principles  that  a  republican  constitution  was  the  only  one 
the  founders  of  the  New  World  deemed  practicable.  In 
every  country  where  unbounded  freedom  exists,  that  free- 
dom commences  at  the  family  threshold.  The  paternal 
sceptre  is  wielded  with  mildness,  parents  being  compelled 
by  public  opinion  to  keep  but  slight  control  over  their 
children. 

"  As  a  consequence,  young  men  choose  the  trade  or  pro- 


Astnodetis  in  New-York.  31 

fession  they  like,  often  dispensing  with  their  parents'  ad- 
vice ;  and  as  soon  as  they  are  enabled  so  to  do  through 
their  profits  or  salaries,  they  leave  the  paternal  roof. 
Many,  like  birds  that  mount  the  air,  as  soon  as  their 
feathers  are  fully  grown,  emigrate  to  some  distant  terri- 
tory or  new  State  of  the  Union,  in  pursuit  of  a  fortune,  oc- 
casionally sending  letters  to  the  '  old  folks,'  as  parents  are 
usually  termed  in  America. 

"  In  virtue  of  the  same  principles  and  notions  every- 
where, girls  go  alone  to  private  or  public  schools,  to 
church,  to  parties — from  time  to  time  even  paying  visits 
to  friends  living  in  a  neighboring  city  or  State.  On  most 
occasions,  they  are  neither  accompanied  by  a  duenna,  as 
in  Spain,  nor  by  a  chambermaid,  as  in  France ;  but  by  a 
young  man,  a  sort  of  cavalier  servante,  who  seriously  plays 
his  part,  lavishing  marks  of  a  disinterested  and  respectful 
attention.  This  knight  is  kept  in  office  as  long  as  the 
young  miss  is  satisfied  with  his  politeness  and  devotion. 
When  he  displeases,  he  is  dismissed  without  ceremony, 
and  his  functions  are  transferred — I  will  not  say  to  a 
rival,  (for  relations  of  this  nature,  though  between  persons 
of  different  sexes,  do  not  savor  of  love,) — but  to  another 
party  and  companion.  Such  Platonic  intercourse,  or  flirta- 
tions, as  they  are  called  in  America,  are  looked  upon  by 
both  parents  and  children  as  harmless  pastime,  or  as  a 
necessary  preface  or  preliminary  to  matrimonial  bonds. 
For  this  reason,  the  mutual  privilege  of  separating  from 
each  other  is  well  understood  ;  and  when  exerted,  neither 
resentment  nor  deception  is  manifested.  It  is  a  right  the 
young  man  and  the  young  girl  undeniably  have,  in  case 
one  of  them  is  satisfied  they  are  ill-fitted  to  make  the  long 
journey  of  life  together.  In  most  cases,  a  candid  expla- 
nation takes  place,  followed  by  a  friendly  separation ;  and 


32  Asmodeus  in  New-York. 

pleasant  recollections  only  grow  out  of  such  temporary 
relations." 

"  Are  they  always  free  of  any  sad  consequence  to  the 
young  girl  ?"  said  I,  interrupting  Asmodeus. 

"Always  and  never  are  two  bold  words,"  replied  my 
companion.  "  But  young  American  ladies  are  not  kept, 
as  in  Europe,  in  a  state  of  complete  ignorance  as  regards 
the  relations  between  the  sexes ;  and  they  know  where  to 
stop  when  danger  commences.  I  am  aware  that  purity  of 
morals,  especially  in  large  cities,  is  fast  passing  away.  Still, 
the  freedom  enjoyed  by  young  girls  in  the  United  States 
is  far  from  being  exposed  to  the  many  dangers  it  would  be 
in  Europe.  On  the  other  hand,  flirtation  teaches  cautious- 
ness to  young  men  ;  for,  let  any  one  either  write  a  letter  or 
do  any  thing  that  may  be  interpreted  as  an  engagement, 
and  he  is  infallibly  caught  in  the  snares  laid  by  many  an 
unscrupulous  spinster,  encouraged  too  often,  in  their  hunt 
after  husbands,  by  greedy  lawyers  and  sympathetic  jurors. 

"  Helena,  fair  and  gracious,  like  most  young  American  la- 
dies, was  '  trained  for  the  world,'  as  say  complacent  moth- 
ers— meaning,  I  suppose,  that  the  main  object  of  educa- 
tion is  to  prepare  the  fair  sex  to  adorn  society ;  and  so 
Helena  was  brought  up  a  stranger  to  notions  of  a  higher 
order  concerning  the  part  women  ought  to  play  in  modern 
society. 

"  When  eighteen,  she  could  perform  on  the  piano,  em- 
broider, sketch — in  short,  had  a  smattering  of  almost  every 
thing.  Above  all,  she  was  well  posted  on  Parisian 
fashions.  She  learned  to  sing  after  her  marriage,  owing 
to  the  encouragement  received  from  a  foreign  song- 
stress, pleased  with  Helena's  fine  voice.  Her  marriage 
had  been  brought  about  in  the  way  usual  in  similar  cir- 
cumstances. Helena  introduced,  one  evening,  a  young 


Asmodeus  in  Nem-York.  33 

man  to  her  father,  and  informed  the  old  gentleman  she 
was  engaged  to  him.  The  introduction  over,  Helena's 
father  asked  the  young  man  a  few  questions  concerning 
his  prospects  and  family.  Tea  was  brought  in  ;  the  '  old 
folks '  played  whist  with  a  few  friends,  and  no  further 
notice  was  taken  of  or  allusion  made  to  the  engagement. 

"  The  young  man  she  had  chosen  for  her  future  husband 
was  handsome,  and  belonged  to  a  family  in  good  standing, 
one  of  the  relatives  having  recently  served  a  term  of  two 
years  as  Governor  of  the  State  of  New- York.  Though 
passionately  fond  of  Helena,  Edward  Ronfort  discreetly 
kept  aloof,  as  other  young  men  were  also  then  paying  their 
attentions  to  her.  When  he  discovered  that  he  was  the 
most  favored,  he  expressed  his  desire  to  accompany  her 
to  parties  and  elsewhere,  and  a  regular  flirtation  com- 
menced— a  means,  as  previously  explained,  to  ascertain 
whether  strong  sympathy  exists  between  two  persons  of 
different  sexes.  Between  Ronfort  and  the  banker's  daugh- 
ter this  sympathy  was  not  slow  to  show  itself,  maturing 
into  an  engagement,  which  led  to  a  wedding  a  few  months 
later. 

"In  many  States  of  the  Union,  lads  fifteen  years  old, 
and  girls  ten  years  of  age,  may  marry  without  the  consent 
of  their  parents.  Magistrates,  equally  with  clergymen,  have 
the  right  to  solemnize  marriage.  The  gentleman  and  lady 
go  to  a  magistrate  or  to  a  clergyman,  and  declare  they  have 
resolved  to  marry.  The  ceremony  is  immediately  proceed- 
ed with.  When  it  is  over,  the  magistrate  or  clergyman  re- 
ceives his  fee,  delivers  a  certificate  of  the  transaction  to 
the  bride  and  groom,  when  required,  and,  in  less  than  ten 
Hi  mutes,  the  act  which  is  held  by  all  civilized  nations  as 
the  most  important  in  life  is  performed.  No  previous 
publication  is  required ;  all  facilities  are  afforded  by  law 


34  Asmodeus  in  New-York. 

for  conjugal  unions,  its  main  object  being;,  one  would 
think,  to  'increase  and  multiply'  the  population  of  the 
vast  continent  of  North-America. 

"Sometimes,  but  very  seldom,  the  bride's  parents  ob- 
ject to  her  marrying  the  man  she  has  chosen.  But  public 
opinion  is,  in  general,  against  them  ;  and  they  are  con- 
strained, in  most  cases,  to  soon  relinquish  all  opposition. 
A  few  years  ago,  a  young  lady  fell  in  love  with  her  father's 
coachman.  To  prevent  what  was,  in  his  judgment,  an  ill- 
assorted  union,  the  father  undertook  to  take  his  daughter 
abroad ;  but  he  was  prevented  from  doing  so  by  the  offi- 
cers of  the  law,  and  the  young  lady  availed  herself  of  her 
unrestrained  liberty  to  marry  her  lover. 

"  Children  care  little  for  their  parents'  approbation  when 
they  are  determined  to  marry,  because  they  seldom  receive 
a  marriage  portion  or  a  dowry  from  them  ;  while  in  Europe, 
money  in  all  conjugal  unions  is  a  consideration  second  to 
none  in  importance.  The  paternal  power  is  intimately 
connected  there  with  the  power  of  money,  and  its  neces- 
sary intervention  is  all-powerful.  In  America,  young 
men  marry  the  girls  they  love  without  troubling  them- 
selves about  the  marriage  portion  or  dowry  question. 
They  know  they  will  find  in  labor  a  means  to  support  their 
family,  and  do  not  seek  it  in  matrimonial  speculations,  to 
the  detriment  of  feelings  of  manliness  and  personal  dig- 
nity. They  consult  their  hearts,  and  nothing  else.  Hence, 
it  follows  that  unions  are  better  assorted  and,  I  think,  more 
happy  in  the  United  States  than  in  the  Old  World.  A 
dowry  or  a  marriage  portion  is  no  better  than  a  bondage 
to  European  husbands.  If  scrupulous,  they  are  inces- 
santly under  apprehensions  of  compromising  what  they 
consider  as  a  trust  confided  to  their  keeping  for  their 
children.  Should  they  be  so  unlucky  as  to  squander 


Asmodeus  in  New-York.  35 

the  money  they  have  received  from  their  wives,  they  feel 
miserable  the  remainder  of  their  life,  vainly  striving  to  re- 
trieve their  losses  and  reestablish  the  trust  in  its  entirety ; 
while,  all  the  time,  they  are  bound  to  keep  up  their  house 
on  a  footing  proportionate  with  the  fortune  brought  by 
their  wives.  In  the  United  States,  a  young  husband 
ignores  all  those  impediments  and  cares  at  the  beginning 
of  his  career.  His  wife  cheerfully  shares  his  bad  or  good 
fortune,  and  in  no  case  has  any  ground  to  complain.  Some- 
times foreigners  of  noble  birth,  but  poor,  or  mere  adven- 
turers, hunt  for  heiresses,  and,  according  to  European  tra- 
dition, stipulate  for  ready  cash  before  marrying.  Public 
contempt  is  their  reward.  All  decent  houses  are  shut 
against  men  making  a  mercantile  transaction  of  an  act 
which  mutual  sympathy  only  should  control. 

"  Neither  do  sensible  Americans  admit  that  it  is  proper 
for  a  man,  after  toiling  all  his  life  to  acquire  a  competency, 
to  give  it  away  for  the  benefit  of  his  children — at  the  very 
moment,  too,  when  old  age  and  its  infirmities  make  it  the 
most  needful.  In  their  judgment,  money  given  to  chil- 
dren to  secure  their  marriage,  is  a  custom  not  to  be 
thought  of  in  the  New,  and  should  be  left  unreservedly  to 
the  Old  World;  as  it  proves  to  be,  in  most  cases,  a  source 
of  discord  to  the  newly  married  pair,  a  burden  to  their 
parents,  and,  finally,  an  incentive  to  evil  passions. 

"  Helena's  father  was  too  much  imbued  with  the  ideas 
prevailing  with  his  countrymen,  to  either  thwart  the  choice 
of  his  daughter,  or  to  settle  on  her,  at  the  time  of  her  mar- 
riage, any  money.  Besides,  Edward  Ronfort,  when  he 
married,  was  in  rather  easy  circumstances.  His  father, 
who  died  a  few  years  before,  left  an  income  of  five  thousand 
dollars  to  each  of  his  four  children,  and  as  much  to  his 
widow — the  latter  receiving,  besides,  a  handsome  residence 


36  Asmodeus  in  New-York. 

situated  on  the  sea-shore  a  short  distance  from  New- York. 
On  bequeathing  that  property  to  his  widow,  he  had  stipu- 
lated that  all  his  children  should  reside  there  at  pleasure, 
summer  or  winter,  whether  married  or  unmarried.  That 
testamentary  disposition  proved  fruitful  of  momentous  con- 
sequences, as  will  be  seen  hereafter. 

"  Edward  Ronfort  and  his  wife  spent  there  the  summer 
months.  During  winter,  they  boarded  in  a  fashionable 
hotel  in  New- York.  Helena  gave  birth  to  two  children? 
and  their  happiness,  perhaps,  would  never  have  been  dis- 
turbed but  for  the  coming  home,  after  a  long  absence,  of 
Robert  Ronfort,  elder  brother  of  Edward  by  two  years. 

"  Robert  had  gone  to  California  a  few  years  before,  in 
pursuit  of  a  fortune.  He  was  there  at  the  time  Edward 
married.  After  securing  a  competency  in  California,  he 
had  himself  married  there,  but  soon  after  lost  his  wife. 
Robert's  mind  was  much  depressed  at  his  bereavement ; 
and  when  he  came  to  reside  in  the  paternal  mansion — as 
he  had  a  right  to  do  according  to  his  father's  will — his  rel- 
atives and  friends  did  their  best  to  soothe  his  grief  and 
remove  his  melancholy.  Helena,  in  particular,  showed  a 
deep  sympathy  for  her  brother-in-law ;  and  Robert,  who 
was  then  about  thirty-four  years  of  age,  gradually  recovered 
his  strength  and  cheerfulness. 

"  To  keep  himself  busy  and  divert  his  mind,  he  estab- 
lished an  evening  school  for  the  operatives  of  a  factory 
near  by,  and  also  a  Sunday-school  for  their  children. 
Himself  and  Helena  were  the  principal  teachers  of  these 
schools ;  and  while  accomplishing  this  good  work,  an  inti- 
macy sprang  up  between  them  which  proved  a  source  of 
grief  to  two  families,  and  added  another  chapter  to  the  his- 
tory of  American  domestic  scandals. 

"  Seven  years  had  now  elapsed  since  Helena  married 


Asmodeus  in  New-York.  37 

and  two  since  Robert  had  returned  from  California,  when 
Edward  was  obliged  to  go  to  the  far  West  to  take  part  in 
a  law-suit  in  which  important  interests  were  involved. 
His  love  for  his  wife  had  so  increased  that  he  felt  sorely 
grieved  to  leave  her,  and  only  did  so  on  the  assurance 
from  his  lawyers  that  his  absence  would  last  but  a  few 
weeks.  But  those  weeks  proved  to  be  months ;  for,  if  law- 
suits in  other  countries  require  a  long  time  and  many 
tedious  delays  before  they  arrive  at  a  conclusion,  they  are, 
in  the  United  States,  almost  interminable.  At  last,  after 
bringing  his  cause  to  a  favorable  issue,  Edward  wrote  to 
his  wife  that  he  was  coming  home.  But  this  piece  of 
news,  instead  of  filling  all  the  members  of  his  family  with 
joy,  struck  terror  into  the  hearts  of  two  of  them — his  wife 
and  his  own  brother. 

"  But,"  said  Asmodeus,  interrupting  his  narrative, 
"here  is  the  house  of  the  opulent  merchant  on  whom  we 
propose  to  call.  I  will  tell  you,  at  another  time,  the  sequel 
of  the  domestic  drama  to  which  you  have  listened  with  so 
much  interest." 


CHAPTER   IV. 


IN  WHICH  THE  HEADER  MAKES  THE  ACQUAINTANCE  OF 
SOME  ECCENTRIC  CHARACTERS,  AND  IN  WHICH  ASMO- 
DEUS  DERIDES  THE  AMERICAN  PEOPLE  FOR  A  PREDOM- 
INATING MANIA  AND  SUNDRY  ODDITIES. 

]HE  house,  in  front  of  which  we  had  arrived,  was 
standing  alone,  surrounded  by  beautiful  gar- 
dens, and  it  looked  like  a  princely  residence — 
in  fact,  few  sovereigns  in  Europe  live  in  so 
splendid  a  palace  as  that  of  this  merchant  of  the  young 
Republic.  Such  was  the  thought  that  flashed  through 
my  mind  as  Asmodeus  announced  his  name.  That  name 
operated  like  a  talisman,  for  the  doors  were  instantly 
thrown  open.  I  had  time,  moreover,  to  observe  the  external 
appearance  of  the  building.  Entirely  of  white  marble,  it 
was  of  great  size,  and  the  architects  of  the  New  World 
had  exhausted  their  ingenuity  to  make  it  a  masterpiece. 
Every  stone  of  the  edifice  was  finely  cut,  and  every  orna- 
ment stamped  with  unquestionable  taste. 

The  outside  appearance  foreshadowed  the  inside  mag- 
nificence ;  and  I  did  not  wonder  at  the  number  of  jasper 
and  rare  marble  pillars  seen  throughout  the  large  halls  and 
parlors.  Masterpieces  from  every  country  in  the  world 


Asmodeus  in  New- York.  39 

adorned  this  spacious  mansion,  whose  owner,  a  gentleman 
of  about  sixty,  kindly  greeted  us.  He  gave  a  party  that 
evening,  and  dancing  was  going  on  in  a  large  conservatory 
fitted  up  as  a  ball-room  for  the  occasion.  The  society 
seemed  more  refined  than  that  we  had  just  left,  as  the 
men  we  mingled  with  looked  more  sedate,  and  the  ladies 
talked  and  laughed  less  loudly. 

"You  are  not  mistaken,"  said  Asmodeus,  to  whom  I 
made  this  observation ;  "  here  may  be  found,  excepting 
those  Bourbons  I  alluded  to  a  few  minutes  ago,  the  best 
people  of  New-York.  Here  are  merchants  worth  millions 
of  dollars  ;  manufacturers,  magistrates,  bankers,  and  some 
distinguished  foreigners.  The  Amphitryon  seldom  gives 
parties,  but  he  is  particular  about  his  guests.  He  has 
not,  as  yet,  forgotten  an  occurrence  of  a  somewhat  painful 
nature  which  happened  in  the  beginning  of  his  mercantile 
career.  He  had  been  extremely  lucky  in  all  his  ventures  ; 
so  much  so  that  he  was  nearly  worth  one  million  of  dol- 
lars. Though  living  in  a  modest  house,  situated  in  a 
modest  street,  he  decided,  one  day,  to  give  a  large  party 
to  his  best  customers,  and,  in  consequence,  invited  the 
wealthiest  and  oldest  families  of  New- York.  None  of 
them  answered  his  invitation,  and  the  party  came  off  with- 
out any  guests.  After  that,  it  is  said,  the  future  million- 
aire swore  that  he  would  astonish  by  his  wealth  and 
luxury  that  proud  mercantile  aristocracy  which  he  could 
not  win  by  kindness  and  urbanity ;  and  uniting  caution 
with  a  rare  perspicacity,  he  accumulated  a  fortune  which 
at  the  present  time  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  United 
States. 

"  I  must  state  that  at  the  time  this  episode  occurred,  he 
was  not,  like  to-day,  one  of  the  largest  importers  of  the 
country ;  he  was  simply  a  retail  merchant;  and  the  thirst 


40  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

for  social  distinction  is  so  deeply  rooted  within  certain 
classes  of  New- York  society,  that  wholesale  merchants  and 
importers  believe  themselves  to  be  far  above  retailers, 
whatever  be  the  wealth  of  the  latter.  Down-town  mer- 
chants look  with  disdain  on  the  up-town  retailers,  the  very 
men  who  purchase  the  goods  they  have  imported.  Again, 
our  host  was  not  born  in  the  United  States,  a  circumstance 
the  import  of  which  he  was  far  from  realizing  when  he 
tried  to  mingle  with  the  picked  society  of  New- York. 

"Foreigners,  even  after  residing  half  a  century  in  this 
country,  retain  the  mark  of  their  birth,  the  natives  persist- 
ing, even  after  aliens  have  become  wealthy,  to  treat  them  as 
adventurers. 

"  You  must  also  bear  in  mind,  that  the  native  Ameri- 
cans candidly  believe  themselves  to  be  intellectually 
superior  to  foreigners.  Hence,  their  way  of  speaking  with 
pity  and  disdain  of  European  people  as  no  better  than  In- 
dian Pariahs,  or  any  other  inferior  race.  They  are  not 
aware,  perhaps,  that  the  most  illustrious  men  in  the  Uni- 
ted States,  in  almost  every  branch  of  human  labor,  are 
foreigners.  Not  to  speak  of  our  host,  whose  business 
amounts  to  over  one  hundred  millions  of  dollars  per  an- 
num, the  prominent  bankers  of  New- York  are  either  Eng- 
lish, German,  or  French.  The  journalist  whose  energy 
gives  an  unparalleled  development  to  the  American 
press  is  a  foreigner ;  the  Union  is,  perhaps,  indebted  for 
her  preservation  to  a  foreigner ;  for,  in  the  course  of  the 
late  gigantic  civil  war,  it  was  owing  to  the  ingenuity  of  a 
Swedish  gentleman  that  the  navy  of  the  Northern  States 
escaped  destruction,  a  catastrophe  which  would  have  very- 
likely  altered  the  issue  of  the  struggle  then  going  on. 

"The  learned  men  whom  the  American  people  most 
frequently  boast  of — Audubon,  the  celebrated  ornithologist, 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  41 

and  Agassiz — are  foreigners  ;  the  first,  the  son  of  a  French 
admiral,  was  born  in  Louisiana  before  that  country  was 
purchased  by  the  United  States ;  and  the  other,  a  Swiss 
by  birth,  was  indebted  to  the  natural  phenomena  of  Swit- 
zerland for  his  first,  and  perhaps  best,  effort. 

"  The  preeminence  of  foreigners  in  science,  trade,  and 
finance  is  not,  after  all,  a  fact  of  recent  date  in  the  history 
of  the  United  States :  it  has  been  so  since  the  American 
Republic  first  took  rank  among  the  nations  of  the  world. 
Astor,  whose  name  is  known  on  both  sides  of  the 
Atlantic,  and  who  donated  a  valuable  library  to  the  city 
of  New- York,  was  born  in  Germany  ;  Stephen  Girard,  who 
bequeathed  two  millions  of  dollars  to  Philadelphia  for  the 
establishment  of  a  college  which  is  a  pattern  for  other  phi- 
lanthropic institutions,  was  a  Frenchman  ;  and  a  Swiss — 
Gallatin — when  the  war  for  Independence  was  over,  was 
intrusted  with  the  duty  of  saving  the  public  treasury  from 
bankruptcy.  But  such  is  the  pride  of  the  American  peo- 
ple, that  when  a  foreigner  residing  in  the  United  States 
becomes  celebrated,  either  because  of  his  talents  or  a  use- 
ful discovery,  they  claim  the  illustrious  man  as  an  Ameri- 
can, contending  that  he  is  indebted  for  his  genius  to  his 
settling  in  this  country. 

"  Now,  if  you  wish  to  know  the  ordinary  topics  which 
absorb  the  American  mind,  mingle  with  the  company  and 
listen  to  their  conversation." 

Following  the  advice  of  my  companion,  I  listened  to  the 
gentlemen  who  were  idling  through  the  rooms.  Every- 
where that  word,  "  dollar,"  constantly  repeated,  struck 
upon  my  ear.  All  conversation  had  for  its  subject  mer- 
cantile and  financial  transactions  ;  profits,  either  realized 
or  to  be  realized  by  the  speakers,  or  the  general  prospect 
of  the  market.  Literature,  art,  science,  the  drama,  all 


42  Asmodens  in  New -York. 

those  topics  which  are  discussed  in  polite  European 
society,  were  not  even  alluded  to.  Another  peculiarity  I 
noticed — namely,  the  practice  of  self-commendation  and 
praise.  Egotism  seemed  to  permeate  the  mind  of  every 
body.  The  word  "  I  "  was  constantly  on  the  lips  of  the 
speakers. 

That  maxim  of  good  old  Franklin,  "Never  speak  of 
yourself,"  thought  I,  is  quite  obsolete  here,  as  well  as  many 
others,  perhaps,  of  the  same  philosopher.  At  any  rate,  the 
practice  of  making  one's  self  of  importance,  of  magnifying 
one's  own  achievements,  seemed  to  me  not  less  shocking 
than  that  burning  thirst  for  money  which,  even  in  the 
midst  of  pleasure,  preys  upon  the  American  mind. 

I  imparted  my  observations  to  Asmodeus,  who  said : 
"  Many  times  I  have  heard  experienced  physicians  and 
men  of  unquestionable  science  seriously  contend  that  all 
Americans,  without  exception,  are  more  or  less  demented  ; 
for  all  are  afflicted  with  that  inveterate  mania — money-mak- 
ing. Day  and  night,  their  minds  are  bent  on  the  means  of 
acquiring  wealth ;  all  their  thoughts,  all  their  acts,  converge 
to  that  one  point.  It  besets,  it  haunts  them  in  their  stores, 
at  home,  in  the  street,  at  the  theatre,  and  in  church.  There 
is  no  room  in  their  brains  for  any  thought  but  that  of  mak- 
ing money. 

"  Well,  a  monomaniac  is  on'e  who  is  preyed  upon  by  a 
single  or  predominating  idea ;  and  the  love  of  money 
pushed  to  extremes,  as  it  is  in  this  country,  having  invaded 
all  classes  of  society — males  as  well  as  females,  old  as 
well  as  young  men — indeed,  all  alike — is  a  positive  sign 
of  mental  derangement.  Indeed,  the  American  people 
have  come  to  that  point  of  weighing  the  worth  of  a  man 
by  the  wealth  he  is  possessed  of,  and  thereby  to  proportion 
their  estimation  of  him. 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  43 

"  In  England,  (I  state  a  fact  which  I  refrain  from  ap- 
preciating,) nobility  or  birth  is  alone  looked  upon  as  the 
true  standard  of  merit.  In  fact,  England  is  nothing  but  an 
aristocratic  hierarchy  :  at  the  head  is  the  queen ;  next 
come  the  dukes ;  then  the  marquises  and  earls,  viscounts 
and  barons.  The  government,  in  all  its  ramifications, 
from  generation  to  generation,  is  transmitted  to  some 
noble  family ;  and  even  in  the  servants'  hall,  an  aristocra- 
tic hierarchy  is  still  found :  yellow-plush  looks  with  dis- 
dain upon  the  cook,  and  the  cook  hardly  condescends  to 
hold  converse  with  the  hostler,  who,  in  his  turn,  living  in 
the  stable  of  nobility,  considers  himself  many  degrees  re- 
moved from  the  tillers  of  the  land  and  workmen  in  the 
cotton-factories. 

"  Equality  thus  being  out  of  the  question  in  England,  it 
is  a  positive  fact  that  nobility,  with  but  few  exceptions,  is 
considered  the  standard  of  merit.  It  is  true  that  men  of 
eminence  and  popularity  have  sometimes  been  allowed  to 
occupy  stations  of  secondary  importance  in  the  English 
cabinet,  notwithstanding  they  have  sprung  from  the  mid- 
dle classes.  But  a  nobleman,  like  Russell,  Palmerston, 
and  my  Lords  Derby  and  Aberdeen  could  alone,  up  to  our 
day,  aspire  to  the  premiership.  If  ever  a  plebeian  be- 
comes a  premier,  the  traditions  of  eight  centuries  will  be 
put  aside,  the  constitution  of  England  imperiled — indeed 
it  will  be  the  signal  for  a  momentous  revolution  in  the 
habits,  ideas,  and  social  organization  of  feudal  England. 

"  In  Russia — it  was  so,  at  least,  'not  many  years  ago — 
the  favor  of  the  reigning  prince  was  the  standard  of  me- 
rit. In  all  despotic  states,  favorites  are  all-powerful ; 
neither  birth  nor  talents  has  any  thing  to  do  with  the 
qualification  of  men  for  public  offices  and  public  esteem ; 


44  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

and  oftentimes  the  sovereign's  favor  rests  with  the  most 
servile  of  his  subjects. 

"  There  is  hardly  any  other  country  than  France  where 
the  sole  standard  of  merit  is  merit  itself.  Birth  has 
nothing  to  do  with  Frenchmen  ;  it  occupies  no  room  in 
their  affections  or  prejudices.  The  aristocracy  of  France 
is  rather  nominal  than  real — a  souvenir  of  the  past — as  an 
aristocracy  without  landed  estates  hardly  deserves  that 
name.  In  diplomatic  or  military  affairs,  in  all  branches 
of  public  administration,  personal  merit  is  .the  only  avail- 
able qualification  for  office-seekers  or  office-holders. 

"  In  the  United  States,  the  masses  are,  very  properly, 
indifferent  to  the  prestige  or  claim  of  birth ;  but,  at  the 
same  time,  we  find  they  entertain  but  a  faint  regard  for 
personal  preeminence  and  real  talent. 

"  The  standard  of  merit  in  the  United  States  is  money ! 
An  Englishman,  when  he  desires  to  be  informed  about  a 
stranger,  propounds  this  question :  '  Is  he  a  man  of  good 
family — of  birth?'  With  the  Frenchman,  the  question 
would  be  :  '  Is  he  a  man  of  talent  ?'  With  an  American,  the 
question  invariably  is,  '  How  much  is  he  worth  ?'• — an 
expression  certainly  applicable  to  the  value  of  a  bag  of 
corn,  of  a  hog,  or,  in  the  palmy  days  of  slaver}',  to  a  lively 
negro.  Painful  as  it  is  to  confess  it,  I  repeat  that  the 
standard  of  merit  in  this  democratic  country  is  money. 
A  learned  man,  if  poor,  is  looked  upon  with  scorn  and 
pity.  James  Fenimore  Cooper  would  have  been  shut  out 
from  every  aristocratic  house  if  his  coat  had  been  shabby. 
This  aberration  of  mind  is  pushed  so  far  that  it  gives  birth 
to  the  most  ludicrous  distinctions  in  social  life.  For  in- 
stance, I  am  worth,  in  the  common  parlance  of  the  day, 
ten  thousand  dollars — my  left-hand  neighbor  thinks  he  is 
worth  fifteen  thousand  dollars  ;  consequently,  he  declines 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  45 

all  acquaintance  with  me,  and  does  not  recognize  me  when 
we  pass  each  other  in  the  street.  But  it  happens  that  my 
right-hand  neighbor  is  possessed  of  about  twenty  thousand 
dollars  ;  now,  his  wife  would  get  excited  if  her  lord  showed 
the  slightest  sign  of  recognition  of  the  left-hand  neighbor, 
worth  five  thousand  less  ! 

"  From  a  general  point  of  view,  the  American  people 
may  be  divided  into  two  classes,  the  poor  and  the  rich — • 
the  latter  often  harsh  and  indifferent  to  the  former ;  for 
poverty  is  one  of  the  greatest  known  crimes  in  the  United 
States.  You  may  now  easily  understand  that  those  who 
are  not  rich  exhaust  their  ingenuity  to  make  others  believe 
they  are  so ;  and  thus  the  fortunes  of  many  persons  are 
but  superficial.  Their  houses  are  often  heavily  mortgaged, 
and  sometimes  the  dresses  of  their  wives — of  many,  per- 
haps, of  the  ladies  we  see  here — are  worn  out  before  paid 
for.  But  as  the  people  of  no  other  country  have  more 
regard  for  appearances,  those  who  want  credit  resort,  as 
a  necessity,  to  outside  show.  Why  wonder,  then,  at  the 
many  fitful  changes  in  life  here  so  frequent  ? 

'iThe  present  generation  resembles  those  governments 
alluded  to  by  an  old  philosopher,  which,  by  dint'of  borrow- 
ing, keep  themselves  up  in  the  same  way  that  the  body  of 
a  man,  just  hung,  is  held  up  by  a  rope.  The  Americans, 
as  long  as  possible,  pile  expediency  upon  expediency  to 
keep  up  their  credit,  and  often  have  recourse  to  means 
that  a  tolerant  public  calls  smart,  but  which,  in  any  other 
country,  would  be  severely  punished. 

"The  pursuit  of  gain  has  polluted  private  and  public 
morals,  and  corrupted  political  institutions ;  even  patriotism 
is  made  subservient  to  it.  Most  of  our  public  men  serve 
their  country  with  the  hope,  and  the  well-understood  con- 
dition, of  making  money.  In  trade  and  industry,  all 


46  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

means  are  resorted  to  to  obtain  the  golden  prize ;  for  it 
is  generally  admitted  that  the  end  justifies  the  means, 
whether  honest  or  dishonest,  and  that,  finally,  the  wealthi- 
est man  in  the  land  is  sure  to  be  the  greatest  in  the  esti- 
mation of  his  countrymen. 

"  Some  persons  who  have  accumulated  wealth  by  chi- 
canery, build  palatial  residences  in  Madison  or  Fifth  ave-. 
nue,  give  balls  and  soirees;  and  the  elite  of  society,  hold- 
ers of  high  public  offices,  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  and 
generals  of  the  army,  all  attend,  because  the  glitter  of 
wealth  has,  upon  the  minds  of  the  American  people,  the 
fascinating  influence  reptiles  have  over  beasts.  And  such 
is  the  result  of  the  generally  accepted  notion  that  the 
worth  of  a  man  is  in  proportion  to  the  bulk  of  his 
purse. 

"You  have  doubtless  noticed  that  Americans  admire 
every  thing  they  do,  every  thing  they  say,  every  thing  that 
transpires  in  their  country — it  is  a  weak  point  which  never 
escapes  a  foreign  observer.  They  candidly  believe  their 
country  is  the  finest,  their  countrymen  the  most  intelli- 
gent, and  their  countrywomen  the  handsomest  on  the  face 
of  the  earth.  They  also  believe  that  the  armies  and 
navies,  arts  and  sciences,  industry  and  commerce  of 
other  nations  can  not  be  compared  with  their  own.  But 
I  would  not  find  fault  with  this  self-admiration  were  it  not 
so  constantly  conspicuous,  especially  when  the  hearers  hap- 
pen to  be  foreigners.  This  self-admiration  has  spread  from 
individuals  to  hamlets,  cities,  counties,  and  States.  There 
is  hardly  a  State  which  does  not  believe  itself  superior,  in 
some  respects,  to  its  neighbor ;  not  a  city  that  does  not  as- 
sert its  supremacy  over  others. 

"  But,  after  all,  this  harmless  rivalry  is  an  incentive  to 
progress.  By  the  same  reason,  the  Americans,  with  their 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  47 

unbounded  confidence  in  their  own  capacity  and  universal 
aptitude — any  one  among  them  being  ready  to  be  lawyer 
one  day,  physician  the  next,  merchant,  legislator,  even 
President  of  the  United  States — would  have  achieved  less 
wonders  in  the  arts  of  peace  were  they  lacking  in  self-re- 
liance, like  the  effete  nations  of  the  Old  World. 

"  Owing  to  this  indomitable  faith  in  their  capacity,  they 
ignore  this  feeling  of  envy  so  deeply  rooted  in  the  heart  of 
the  European  masses.  When  he  looks  at  the  palatial  re- 
sidence of  a  New- York  merchant,  the  workingman  feels 
moved  to  make  his  way  through  the  world,  knowing  that 
wealth  lies  within  the  reach  of  every  one  who,  in  this 
country,  displays  sagacity  and  perseverance. 

"What  I  can  not  consider  as  a  weak  point  of  a  people 
entering  national  life  is  that  disease,  that  scourge  I  have 
before  spoken  of,  and  which  seems  to  catch  hold  of  for- 
eigners themselves  after  a  few  years'  residence  in  this 
country.  .  Take,  for  instance,  that  wealthy  merchant  whose 
hospitality  we  now  enjoy.  He  is  one  of  our  most  respec- 
table citizens,  a  man  of  refined  mind,  a  scholar ;  and  still 
it  may  be  asked  whether  there  is  any  laudable  purpose  in 
his  accumulating  millions  ;  crushing  young  competitors,  as 
he  does,  in  the  mercantile  arena,  failing  to  comprehend 
that,  when  they  have  become  millionaires,  merchants 
should,  like  soldiers  after  they  have  conquered,  leave  the 
field  to  others. 

"The  truth  is,  the  worship  of  gold  dims  the  intelligence 
and  hardens  the  heart ;  and  those  men  who  are  now  play- 
ing whist  with  our  Amphitryon  afford  a  striking  proof  of  it. 
One  of  them — that  one  who  gives  himself  many  airs,  and 
looks  like  an  English  snob — has  made  a  large  fortune  by 
means  of  a  combination  which  he  carried  through  with  the 
aid  of  some  respectable  banking-houses.  He  was  director 


48  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

of  a  company  whose  regular  dividends  had  amounted  to 
twenty  per  cent  for  a  couple  of  years,  when  he  prevailed 
upon  his  brother  directors  to  increase  the  capital  stock  of 
the  company  from  ten  to  twenty  millions  of  dollars.  Our 
man  subscribed  for  the  new  stock  and  sold  it  out  before 
the  public  had  any  intelligence  of  the  increase.  The 
shares  were  worth  three  hundred  dollars  each  before  the 
watering-down  of  the  stock ;  when  it  became  known,  they 
fell  to  one  hundred  dollars,  and  (a  fact  which  shows  a 
dreadful  state  of  public  morals)  the  honesty  of  the  trans- 
action, which  put  several  millions  of  dollars  into  the  pock- 
ets of  the  master-spirit  of  it  and  his  accomplices,  was 
hardly  questioned  by  the  community. 

"  To-day,  this  man  plays  Maecenas ;  he  imports  from  Eng- 
land his  carriages,  horses,  even  his  servants,  every  one  of 
whom  is  six  feet  high;  and  recently  he  was  one  of  a 
committee  of  New- York  capitalists  who,  taking  upon 
themselves  to  suggest  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States  some  financial  measures,  prefaced  their  discourse 
with  these  words :  '  Your  Excellency  will  please  notice 
there  are  ten  of  us  here,  worth  altogether  one  hundred 
millions  of  dollars  ! ' 

"  The  other  two  players  are  avaricious  men,  who  would 
beat  Harpagon  himself.  One  is  an  importer,  who  lives  in 
a  cold  room  in  the  third  story  of  a  modest  house  down- 
town. During  winter  he  warms  himself  in  the  parlors  of 
one  of  our  hotels,  which  are  properly  the  coffee-houses  of 
the  United  States.  You  may  see  him  every  morning  at 
the  Custom-House,  though  he  is  sixty  years  of  age,  mak- 
ing his  entries  himself ;  he  is  his  own  bookkeeper,  cashier, 
chief  of  correspondence,  and  even  sweeps  out  his  own  of- 
fice, I  am  told.  His  annual  profits  exceed  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  He  is  a  bachelor,  because  he  could 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  49 

never  find  time,  as  he  asserts,  to  seek  for  a  wife.  On  Sun- 
days, as  a  diversion  from  his  week's  work,  he  rubs  and 
brightens,  one  after  another,  the  eagles  he  has  received ; 
for  all  his  transactions  are  carried  on  in  hard  cash.  That 
singular  old  man  is  worth  several  millions  of  dollars,  and 
in  spite  of  his  fortune,  he  very  seldom  opens  his  purse  for 
charitable  purposes.  '  Any  gift  of  mine,'  says  he,  to  ex- 
culpate his  stinginess,  '  is  attended  with  sad  consequences 
to  the  recipient.'  And  then  he  relates  that,  a  few  years 
ago,  a  niece  of  his,  the  only  relative  he  had,  informed  him 
of  her  approaching  wedding,  when,  in  an  unaccountable 
fit  of  liberality,  he  sent  her  fifty  thousand  dollars  as  a 
dowry.  The  bride  did  not  know  her  uncle  was  wealthy, 
and  hence,  when  she  received  this  handsome  gift,  lost  her 
reason.  '  And  now  you  can  understand,'  invariably  adds 
this  miser,  when  he  is  asked  for  alms,  'the  reason  why  I 
am  decidedly  averse  to  alms-giving'. 

"  The  second  player  is  also  an  old  bachelor,  who  made 
large  profits  out  of  the  frequent  alterations  in  the  tariff  of 
duties  on  imported  goods.  When  he  invites  a  friend  to 
dine  at  one  of  our  fashionable  restaurants,  he  is  astonished 
to  find  that  he  has  no  money  in  his  pocket-book,  and  his 
friend  has  to  foot  the  bill.  It  is  said  he  has  gathered  a 
voluminous  library  of  fine  books  borrowed  from  his  friends 
— of  course,  never  to  be  returned.  His  only  diversion  is 
somewhat  singular,  and  costs  him  every  year  a  few  thou- 
sand dollars.  Fifteen  years  ago,  he  purchased  a  large  pro- 
perty in  France,  a  description  of  which  he  chanced  to  read 
in  some  newspaper.  When  the  survey  of  that  property 
was  completed,  he  sent  one  of  his  clerks  to  manage  it. 
The  map  of  his  domain  is  hanging  up  in  his  office,  and 
every  few  weeks  he  resolves,  on  looking  at  it,  to  make 
some  alteration.  One  day,  a  summer-house  must  be 


50  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

built  j  the  next,  some  material  is  ordered ;  sometimes  a 
wing  has  to  be  added  to  the  main  building;  again,  the 
plan  of  the  garden  and  walls  is  to  be  modified ;  and  all 
these  improvements  and  alterations  are  carried  on  through 
correspondence  with  his  clerk — for  he  has  never  visited  his 
property,  and  will  doubtless  die  without  seeing  it. 

"  Such  eccentric  characters  are  not  very  numerous,  it  is 
true,  in  America.  Frugality  is  the  exception,  prodigality 
the  genera.1  rule.  Nobody  thinks  of  to-morrow. 

"  A  few  years  ago,  some  benevolent  persons  conceived 
the  project  of  establishing  an  asylum  for  incapacitated  and 
ruined  merchants ;  but  they  gave  it  up  as  completely  im- 
practicable when  it  was  stated  there  were,  in  New- York 
alone,  several  thousand  old  merchants  reduced  to  beggary. 
Among  these  were  nearly  one  thousand  who  had  been 
worth,  in  the  course  of  their  mercantile  career,  one  hun 
dred  thousand  dollars  each. 

"  If  the  American  people  were  not  as  conspicuous  for  their 
prodigality  as  for  their  love  of  money,  they  would  be  a  con- 
temptible set  of  mortals.  But  it  seems  that  Providence  has 
always  ready  for  every  evil  a  remedy ;  and  on  seeing  the 
readiness  of  the  Americans  to  spend  money,  one  can  not 
fail  to  wonder  at  their  feverish  anxiety  to  make  it.  At 
the  same  time,  there  is  no  people  so  easily  misled  by  ap- 
pearances, so  liable  to  be  deceived.  They  permit  them- 
selves to  be  cheated  like  children  ;  in  fact,  there  is  in 
their  character  too  much  puerile  ingenuousness.  They 
delight  in  relating  to  each  other  stories  and  anecdotes, 
which  they  applaud  with  enthusiasm,  and  on  the  hearing 
of  which  any  European  would  soon  grow  weary.  Indefa- 
tigable speakers,  they  nevertheless  lack  the  talent  of  con- 
versation— an  attainment  which  is  to  be  found  only  in  old 
and  polite  society,  and  among  people  whose  instruction  is 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  51 

not  superficial.  It  is  principally  in  public  meetings  they 
exhibit  their  wonderful  oratorical  power :  any  one  among 
them  is  ready  to  speak  at  any  time  and  on  any  topic.  He 
will  keep  his  hearers  attentive  during  several  hours ;  but 
his  sentences  pass  away  like  a  fugitive  noise ;  for  extem- 
porizers  have  few  ideas,  either  in  the  New  or  the  Old 
World. 

"  Concerning  that  other  natural  disposition  of  the  Ameri- 
cans to  be  easily  cheated,  it  is  a  singular  feature  in  the 
character  of  men  whose  mercantile  aptitude  is  so  great 
and  speculative  power  so  acute.  But  the  truth  is,  the 
United  States  are  the  cradle  of  'humbug,'  (an  American 
word  which  has  found  its  way  into  all  spoken  languages,) 
a  paradise  for  charlatans.  I  recognize  among  this  com- 
pany three  physicians,  who  have  made  enormous  sums 
of  money,  not  through  the  honest  exercise  of  their  pro- 
fession, but  simply  by  selling  pills  and  other  nostrums — 
infallible,  of  course,  for  all  known  diseases.  One  can 
hardly  imagine  the  amount  of  their  transactions  and  the 
number  of  workmen  and  agents  they  employ  for  the  mani- 
pulation and  sale  of  their  panaceas. 

"  I  lately  visited  one  of  those  physicians'  establishments. 
He  showed  me  a  department  for  the  manufacture  of  pills 
and  other  medicines,  another  for  their  packing,  another  for 
their  forwarding,  another  for  the  printing  of  circulars, 
pamphlets,  and  almanacs,  with  which  the  country  is 
flooded,  and  many  more  of  less  importance. 

"  Four  hundred  operatives  are  employed  in  that  factory, 
whose  products  are  shipped  to  all  the  States  of  the  Union. 
And  what  are  they  ?  Harmless  waters  or  flour-pellets,  for 
the  most  part,  according  to  the  candid  confession  of  the 
owner  of  the  factory. 

"  Said  he  :  '  My  remedies  can  never  hurt  any  body,  while 


52  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

I  am  satisfied  they  cure  many  people,  so  powerful  is  the 
imagination  as  regards  health!' 

"  Speaking  of  a  favorite  compound,  he  said  he  had  in 
his  possession  thousands  of  certificates  from  most  reliable 
individuals,  stating  that  such  and  such  compound  promptly 
removed  indigestion  and  symptoms  of  ague,  cured  the 
headache,  soothed  the  nervous  system,  created  a  salutary 
perspiration,  relieved  rheumatism,  purified  and  invigorated 
the  blood,  gave  and  increased  appetite,  cured  marasmus, 
kept  the  brain  clear  and  bright,  and  removed,  without  in- 
terrupting the  ordinary  occupation  of  the  patient,  all  dis- 
eases the  flesh  is  heir  to. 

"The  American  is  always  in  a  hurry.  When  he  feels 
sick,  he  purchases,  without  waiting  for  a  physician's  advice, 
an  already  made-up  remedy  for  his  supposed  disease.  The 
profession  of  physician  would  not  be  very  profitable  did 
not  the  American  ladies  require,  more  often  than  the  other 
sex,  medical  attendance." 

In  the  mean  while  dancing  was  going  on,  to  the  strains 
of  an  excellent  orchestra.  After  every  quadrille,  many 
young  ladies  patronized  the  richly  laden  sideboards  and 
tables  ;  and  I  noticed  their  appetite  might,  without  injus- 
tice, be  compared  to  that  of  Albion's  fair  daughters.  I  also 
noticed  the  soiree  was  lacking  in  that  warmth  and  anima- 
tion conspicuous  in  like  parties  in  Europe.  There  were 
many  foreigners  among  the  guests ;  and  one  could  per- 
ceive that  there  was  a  marked  coolness  between  them  and 
the  Americans.  The  latter  were  shy  and  reserved,  did 
not  seem  exceedingly  fond  of  intercourse  with  the  former, 
and  did  not  court  it. 

"  I  suspect,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  though  they  often  assure 
them  of  their  sympathy,  that  Americans  dislike  foreigners  ; 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  53 

who,  in  their  turn,  if  we  are  to  believe  the  natives,  do  not 
like  the  Americans. 

"  It  is  an  undoubted  fact  that,  in  the  opinion  of  many,  the 
continent  of  North- America  ought  to  belong  exclusively  to 
those  born  on  American  soil ;  and  they  see  with  feelings 
of  sorrow  thousands  and  thousands  of  Europeans  landing 
every  year,  to  compete  with  them  for  its  possession.  These 
persons  have  long  considered,  and  perhaps  consider  to- 
day, as  a  national  calamity,  the  homestead  law  which 
grants  to  every  immigrant  a  farm  of  forty  acres  and  over 
after  the  fulfillment  of  certain  easy  terms  and  conditions." 

Among  the  ladies  who  seemed  most  interested  in  the 
dancing,  and  looked  at  it  with  feelings  of  undisguised  gra- 
tification, I  noticed  one  whose  countenance  interested  me. 
One  might  have  easily  mistaken  her  for  a  marchioness  of 
the  old  European  aristocracy,  so  dignified  was  she,  so 
kind  and  gracious  were  her  manners. 

"  Ah  !"  said  Asmodeus,  "  you  are  looking  at  a  lady  who 
will  find,  on  her  return,  her  home  deserted.  Some  ten 
years  ago  she  lost  her  husband,  a  general  in  the  army, 
whose  name  had  often  occupied  public  attention  during 
the  war  of  1812.  When  that  war  was  over,  he  was  ap- 
pointed ambassador  to  Europe,  and  married,  before  leav- 
ing America,  a  lady  of  remarkable  beauty  and  attainments. 
After  several  years  spent  in  Europe,  both  returned  to  the 
United  States.  Here  the  general  died,  leaving  a  hand- 
some fortune  to  his  widow.  She  devoted  herself  to  her 
children  and  grandchildren,  giving  them  a  good  educa 
tion  ;  for  this  lady  has  been  a  grandmother  for  twenty 
years,  being  now  about  sixty  years  old.  A  short  time 
ago,  a  music-teacher — introduced  into  the  family  to  teach 
her  children — pleased  the  general's  widow,  and,  to  the. 
surprise  of  her  friends,  she  soon  married  the  adventurer 


54  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

By  dint  of  coaxing  and  threatening,  he  contrived  to  have 
all  the  fortune  of  the  old  lady  transferred  to  himself ;  and 
this  very  night  he  has  taken  passage  for  Europe,  while  his 
wife,  whom  he  declined  to  accompany  under  pretense  of 
indisposition,  is  enjoying  herself  at  this  party.  To  fill 
the  measure  of  his  villainy  and  ungratefulness,  this  man 
has  eloped  with  the  granddaughter  of  his  wife,  a  child 
some  sixteen  years  old  !" 

Here  the  fire-bells  began  striking  at  various  points  of 
the  city,  and  several  steam-engines  rapidly  passed  in  the 
street. 

"  Let  us  go  to  the  fire,"  said  Asmodeus  ;  "  such  a  spec- 
tacle will  fitly  terminate  our  adventures  and  observations 
for  this  night — or  rather  morning,  as  the  dawn  of  day  will 
soon  break.  There  is,  besides,  in  the  mode  of  extin- 
guishing fires,  and  also  in  their  varied  causes,  an  interest- 
ing subject  for  observation." 


CHAPTER    V. 

WHICH  SHOWS  AN  EXPEDITIOUS  WAY  TO  SETTLE  ACCOUNTS, 
AND  HOW  TENANTS  MAY  PAY  THEIR  HOUSE-RENT,  WITH 
LITTLE  TROUBLE  TO  THEMSELVES. 

jE  soon  reached  the  fire.  A  large  building,  sup- 
ported by  pillars,  and  which  looked  like  a 
church,  was  in  flames.  It  was  situated  in 
one  of  the  great  thoroughfares  of  New- York, 
and  occupied  by  a  dry-goods  firm.  The  sight  was  grand 
and  awful.  Flames  were  bursting  from  every  side  of  the 
building,  from  the  basement  as  well  as  from  the  upper 
stories — a  fact  easily  accounted  for,  as  the  large  ware- 
house was  filled  with  dry-goods.  The  devouring  element 
raged  fiercely,  and  the  superhuman  efforts  of  the  energetic 
and  intelligent  firemen  were  of  little  avail.  Such  was  its 
intensity  that  the)''  and  the  spectators  were  obliged  to  move 
some  distance  from  it.  Soon  all  hope  was  lost  to  save 
either  the  building  or  the  goods  stored  therein  ;  and  the 
firemen  turned  their  attention  to  protecting  the  neighbor- 
ing houses  only. 

"  Were  all  the  boxes  full,"  said  one  of  the  lookers-on, 
"  the  fire  could  hardly  make  greater  progress." 

"  Either  full  or  empty,"  replied  another,  "  the  fire  insu- 
rance companies  will  have  to  pay." 

"  Here  are  sagacious  observers,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  and 


56  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

they  plausibly  explain  the  causes  of  this  fire  and  its  rapid 
progress.  The  merchants  who  owned  that  store  often 
gamble  at  the  Stock  Exchange,  and  have  recently  suf- 
fered heavy  losses.  Many  of  our  merchants  have  aban- 
doned old  and  sound  traditions  :  they  are  no  longer  satis- 
fied with  slow  but  sure  profits,  so  great  is  their  thirst  for 
money.  Fortunes  may  be  rapidly  made  nowadays  ;  and 
the  Stock  Exchange  is  the  only  field  which  offers  a  chance 
for  large  gains.  Sudden  reverses,  it  is  true,  are  met  with 
in  ninety-nine  cases  out  of  one  hundred ;  and  inexperi- 
enced stock-gamblers  are  often  led  astray  by  delusive 
hopes.  Such  has  been  the  fate  of  the  partners  of  that 
firm,  whose  books  are  now  destroyed  by  fire — an  accident 
which  will  have  for  its  result  to  conceal  the  true  situation 
of  the  concern  from  every  body.  Their  credit,  to  this  day, 
has  not  been  impaired,  because  nobody  but  their  stock- 
broker knows  how  their  resources  have  been  squandered 
away,  and  to-morrow  they  will  stand  on  firmer  ground  than 
before,  when  it  is  known  that  they  have  been  fortu- 
nate enough  to  get  rid  of  their  goods  at  a  satisfactory 
price,  with  no  apprehension  of  bad  debts — their  debtors 
now  being  the  fire  insurance  companies,  bound  by  their 
policies  to  promptly  adjust  their  losses.  Should  they  sus- 
pect any  thing  regarding  the  origin  of  the  fire,  they  will 
keep  their  suspicions  to  themselves,  as  they  are  aware 
that,  though  the  law  deals  severely  with  the  crime  of  arson, 
a  condemnation  is  next  to  impossible,  because  the  jury 
will  not  be  disposed,  unless  some  witnesses  de  visit  are 
produced  by  the  State,  to  return  a  verdict  of  guilty.  Now, 
it  is  obvious  that,  when  a  man  sets  fire  to  his  own  house, 
he  takes  care  nobody  shall  see  him  in  the  act." 

"Then  I  apprehend  that  the  business  of  fire  insurance 
companies,  in  the  United  States,  is  not  a  profitable  one  ?" 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  57 

"  You  are  mistaken  ;  with  the  exception  of  a  few  which 
are  badly  managed,  nearly  all  distribute  handsome  divi- 
dends. Their  premiums  are  proportioned  to  their  risks. 
Admitting  the  latter  to  be  ten  times  greater  than  in  Europe, 
the  premiums  for  insuring  are  simply  increased  in  a  cor- 
responding ratio.  In  this  case,  as  in  many  others,  honest 
people  suffer  for  the  rascality  of  others.  Besides,  owing 
to  frequent  and  serious  fires,  every  body  takes  care  to  get 
insured.  Hence,  sound  companies  are  relieved  from  the 
necessity  of  keeping,  as  in  Europe,  a  staff  of  brokers  and 
agents  for  the  purpose  of  drumming  up  clients.  The 
benefits  of  such  institutions  are  so  well  appreciated  by 
every  American,  that  his  first  care' is  to  insure  his  house 
and  goods  as  soon  as  they  are  purchased.  Some  ill-na- 
tured people  assert  that  the  number  of  fires  increases  to- 
ward the  end  of  every  year — that  is,  at  the  time  merchants 
balance  their  books  and  make  inventories.  I  will  not 
vouch  for  the  correctness  of  this  assertion,  but  I  am  quite 
satisfied  the  crime  of  arson  is  nowhere  so  frequent  as  here. 
Revenge,  in  some  cases,  and  cupidity,  in  many  others,  are 
the  incentives.  But  in  every  one  the  incendiaries  act  with 
the  conviction  that  the  law  is  powerless. 

"  To  the  above  causes  of  fire,  I  must  add  the  extreme 
imprudence  of  the  American  people,  and  the  poor  mate- 
rials employed  in  the  construction  of  houses.  The  devour- 
ing element  has  often  free  scope,  and  the  firemen  very 
seldom  succeed  in  saving  a  building  when  once  fully 
ablaze.  The  fire  extends  and  increases  as  quick  as 
lightning,  and  even  stone  itself  makes  but  a  poor  show 
of  resistance." 

As  if  to  confirm  Asmodeus's  assertions,  the  walls  of  the 
warehouse  came  down  with  a  tremendous  crash ;  and  soon 


58  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

only  the  pillars  which  supported  and  adorned  the  front  of 
the  fine  edifice  remained  erect. 

I  noticed,  during  this  magnificent  scene,  that  policemen 
had  no  trouble  to  maintain  order  in  the  street,  and  also 
the  excellent  discipline  displayed  by  the  firemen. 

"  You  must  know,"  said  Asmodeus,  always  disposed  to 
give  information,  "  that  such  is  the  frequency  of  fires,  the 
people  do  not  so  much  enjoy  the  fine  sight." 

"  When  the  fire-bell  rings,  few  persons  leave  their  beds, 
unless  the  fire  threatens  their  own  house.  Police-officers, 
therefore,  have  very  little  difficulty  to  keep  off  spectators. 
As  a  general  thing,  they  know  well  how  to  maintain  order. 
If  they  were  impudent  and  domineering,  as  they  are  in 
many  countries  of  Europe,  their  task,  with  such  an  exci- 
table population  as  that  of  New- York,  would  be  surroun- 
ded with  difficulties;  for  at  the  slightest  cause,  and  on  any 
occasion,  bloody  fights  would  take  place  between  them 
and  the  rough  inhabitants  of  the  lower  wards  j  for,  as  a 
general  rule,  Americans  are  impatient  of  control,  and 
the  show  of  too  much  authority  is  apt  to  excite  their 
worse  feelings.  Policemen  are,  in  reality,  the  citizens' 
servants.  If  you  want  any  information,  apply  to  a  police- 
man ;  in  case  you  have  lost  your  way,  he  will  direct  you 
aright ;  if  you  have  any  difficulty  with  a  coachman — a 
rough  and  insolent  set  of  men  in  all  countries — the  near- 
est policeman  will  quietly,  and  in  a  gentlemanly  way,  set- 
tle it,  to  the  satisfaction  of  both  parties.  In  case  any 
policeman  intentionally  forgets  his  duty — for  no  class  of 
men  is  free  from  fault — you  have  only  to  take  down  his 
number,  make  the  fact  known  to  his  superior  officers,  and 
he  will  be  made  to  apologize  for  his  rudeness,  besides  re- 
ceiving a  severe  reprimand. 

"  The  costume  of  policemen,  I  think,  exerts  a  salutary 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  59 

influence  on  their  behavior.  Suppose,  instead  of  a  club, 
often  concealed  in  a  side-pocket,  they  carried  a  sword,  and 
wore  a  three-cornered  hat,  it  is  quite  certain  they  would 
soon  lose  all  their  present  politeness  ;  they  would  gradu- 
ally adopt  the  overbearing  manners  of  military  men,  a 
class  seldom  urbane  in  time  of  war,  and  who  become  in- 
sufferable in  time  of  peace. 

"  Concerning  the  good  behavior  and  discipline  of  fire- 
men, it  is  now  a  novelty,  because  of  recent  occurrence.  It 
is  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  extinguishment  of  fires  now 
devolves  on  a  body  of  paid  men,  while  previously  it  was 
intrusted  to  volunteer  companies.  Of  course,  these  volun- 
teers were  impatient  of  control,  and  had  become  quite  a 
nuisance  in  this  metropolis.  If  you  wish  to  see  the  con- 
trast between  both  systems,  we  have  but  to  cross  a  narrow 
channel  which  divides  New- York  from  a  sister  city — the 
third  in  the  American  Union,  from  the  number  of  its  in- 
habitants, but  which,  in  reality,  is  a  suburb  of  New-York, 
as  most  of  its  inhabitants  transact  their  business  here." 

In  spite  of  the  late  hour,  I  assented  to  the  proposition, 
remarking,  however,  that  perhaps  no  fire  would  be  raging 
in  the  neighboring  city,  when  we  arrived  there. 

"  Rest  easy  on  that  score,"  answered  my  companion ; 
"fires  are  just  as  extensive  and  frequent  in  Brooklyn  as 
in  other  large  cities  of  the  Union.  Besides,  with  the 
volunteer  system,  when  the  alarm-bell  does  not  ring  for  a 
real  fire,  it  does  for  a  mock  one,  to  give  to  rival  companies 
an  opportunity  of  settling  some  old  quarrel.  We  are 
therefore  sure  to  see,  at  all  events,  the  mode  of  extinguish- 
ing fire  as  practiced  throughout  the  States,  with  few  excep- 
tions." 

Within  five  minutes'  time,  we  were  on  the  other  side  of 
the  river — carried  over  by  one  of  those  spacious  ferry- 


60  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

boats  which  constantly  ply  between  Brooklyn  and  New- 
York,  and  which  my  guide,  in  his  figurative  language, 
compared  to  a.  street  in  motion. 

As  he  had  foretold,  we  heard,  on  landing,  the  alarm- 
bell,  and  saw  at  a  distance  a  glaring  light,  toward  which 
we  hastened.  The  crowd  increased  the  nearer  we  ad- 
vanced ;  company  after  company  of  men,  wearing  red  flan- 
nel shirts,  ran  in  the  middle  of  the  streets,  dragging  with 
fearful  rapidity  ponderous  sjeam-engines,  whose  suffocating 
smoke  darkened  the  atmosphere.  The  shrieks  of  these 
engines,  and  the  wild  yells  of  the  firemen  exciting  each 
other,  as  in  a  steeple-chase,  imparted  to  the  scene,  in  the 
twilight,  a  wild,  weird  appearance.  One  might  have  easily 
mistaken  the  firemen  for  a  troop  of  Indian  savages  going 
to  a  bloody  festival,  but  for  the  thick  smoke  issuing  from 
the  engines,  and  which  rather  reminded  one  of  those  fero- 
cious Cyclops  alluded  to  by  Homer.  One  of  the  specta- 
tors, who  failed  to  get  out  of  the  way  in  time,  was  crushed 
by  one  of  the  engines  ;  while  a  fireman,  stumbling,  was 
trampled  under  foot  by  his  companions. 

We  soon  arrived  at  the  fire.  From  a  dwelling  wrapped 
in  flames,  came  fearful  shrieks  and  lamentations.  Many 
families  inhabited  it,  and  a  few  of  the  inmates,  unable  to 
escape  by  a  single  staircase,  had  taken  refuge  on  the  roof 
of  the  house,  there  imploring  help.  The  firemen  made 
a  dreadful  noise,  running  to  and  fro,  and  gesticulating  like 
maniacs.  They  failed  to  agree  upon  a  plan  of  relief — that 
suggested  by  some  being  rejected  by  others  as  impracti- 
cable. Amid  this  chaos,  no  trace  of  discipline  could  be 
seen,  and  hence,  no  understanding  as  to  the  best  way  to 
check  the  fire  could  be  arrived  at.  Unfortunately,  while 
those  of  the  inmates  who  had  escaped  to  the  roof  were 
becoming  more  and  more  enveloped  by  the  flames,  some 


Asmodens  in  New -York.  61 

firemen  noticed  a  bar-room  at  the  corner  of  the  burning 
building.  Its  doors  were  instantly  burst  open,  and,  no 
longer  attending  to  the  fire,  they  gave  themselves  up  to 
carousal.  Suddenly  a  dreadful  crash  was  heard — the  roof, 
with  those  upon  it,  had  fallen  into  a  perfect  sea  of  flames  ; 
the  main  walls  of  the  building  began  to  oscillate  like  trees 
in  a  gale,  and  before  they  had  time  to  escape  from  the 
bar-room,  some  firemen  also  were  buried  under  the  smok- 
ing ruins. 

Horror-stricken,  we  left  the  scene,  only  to  witness  an- 
other sad  sight.  The  fire  had  destroyed  every  thing,  and 
as  the  services  of  the  steam-engines  were  no  longer  re- 
quired, every  one  of  them  was  slowly  driven  away  by  the 
firemen. 

"  The  engine-houses,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  are,  most  of 
them,  elegant  buildings,  and  sometimes  used  as  assembly 
or  club-rooms.  The  young  men  who  fill  up  the  ranks  of 
the  volunteer  companies  are  generally  clerks  and  mechan- 
ics, who  leave  their  desks,  stores,  or  factories  at  the  first 
stroke  of  the  alarm-bell,  and  seldom  return  for  the  remain- 
der of  the  day.  They  are  not  subject  to  any  reduction  of 
salary,  as  their  absence  from  work  is  apparently  justified 
by  the  requirements  of  public  service.  Besides,  for  obvi- 
ous reasons,  employers  carefully  refrain  from  exasperating 
such  a  dangerous  set  of  men.  The  volunteers,  in  conse- 
quence, spend  a  part  of  their  time  in  the  engine-houses, 
enjoying  themselves  in  every  way,  and  giving,  from  time 
to  time,  sociables  to  their  friends  of  the  fair  sex." 

We  were  going  the  same  way  as  one  of  the  engines,  and 
soon  its  drivers,  at  the  intersection  of  two  streets,  met  a 
rival  company.  All  at  once  deafening  shouts  were  uttered 
by  the  firemen,  and  they  began  hurling  low  epithets  at 
each  other.  As  with  the  warriors  celebrated  by  Homer* 


62  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

it  was  the  prelude  to  a  fierce  struggle.  The  firemen  threw 
stones  at  each  other — indeed,  any  thing  they  could  get  hold 
of,  and  revolvers,  also,  were  soon  brought  into  play.  The 
fight  threatened  to  be  bloody,  when  a  platoon  of  police- 
men made  their  appearance.  Brandishing  their  clubs, 
they  succeeded  in  separating  the  combatants  ;  but  during 
the  fight  one  of  the  engines  had  been  turned  topsy-turvy, 
and  broken  in  many  pieces.  The  grief  of  the  firemen  to 
whom  it  belonged — a  grief  so  heartily  felt  that  many  almost 
wept  at  sight  of  its  ruin — would  have  provoked  our  risibles 
but  for  the  sad  scene  we  had  just  witnessed,  and  the  cries 
of  the  many  wounded  volunteers. 

"  Volunteer  firemen,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  are  a  power  in 
the  state.  The  political  party  that  secures  their  vote  is 
sure  to  win  the  day  in  local  elections  ;  hence  the  reason 
why  this  system  is  still  kept  in  existence  in  many  States. 
These  volunteers  are  active  and  influential  canvassers, 
and  many  public  officers  are  indebted  to  them  for  the 
situations  they  occupy. 

"  In  spite  of  their  name,  volunteer  firemen  cost  a  city 
much  money,  as  they  very  frequently  bleed  the  municipal 
treasury;  for  instance,  for  the  purchase  of  new  engines, 
for  repairs  of  old  ones,  building  of  engine-houses,  and 
indemnity  for  disabled  members.  But  withal  there  is 
no  question  that  some  good  emanates  from  this  system. 
Now,  suppose  a  body  of  firemen  to  be  as  efficient  as  in 
some  countries  of  Europe,  we  should  be  deprived  of  a 
powerful  element  of  improvement  in  the  United  States. 
Take,  for  example,  New- York.  The  frequent  occurrence 
of  fires  has  entirely  transformed  that  great  metropolis, 
and  altered  its  outward  appearance  for  the  better.  For- 
merly, one  could  see,  on  the  great  commercial  thorough- 
fares, main  streets,  and  avenues,  only  ill-looking  two-story 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  63 

brick  houses.  In  their  place,  white  and  brown-stone  man- 
sions, four  stories  high,  with  all  the  modern  improvements, 
have  been  erected,  also  many  warehouses,  as  spacious  and 
handsome  as  palaces. 

"To  fires,  undoubtedly,  the  city  of  New- York  is  in- 
debted for  such  a  thorough  change  within  a  few  years. 
To  them  it  is  due  that  the  Unied  States  possess  the  most 
regular  and  handsome  cities  in  the  world.  At  the  same 
time,  the  art  of  building  has  remarkably  advanced,  and 
architecture  has  kept  pace  with  the  requiremens  of  the 
age.  In  short,  as  you  see,  you  would  be  wrong  in  hastily 
condemning  the  volunteer  system,  which  produces  such 
valuable  results." 

While  Asmodeus  was  thus  talking,  half- seriously,  half- 
jocosely,  we  had  arrived  at  the  ferry,  where  a  crowd  at- 
tracted our  attention.  About  a  dozen  men  were  in  a  state 
of  great  excitement. 

"  I  recognize  him,"  said  one  of  them  ;  "  I  know  him 
well ;  I  used  to  go  to  his  saloon  every  evening." 

"  Let  us  hang  the  rogue  !"  exclaimed  another  "  He  is 
the  cause  of  my  brother  being  buried  under  the  burning 
ruin." 

"  My  father  also  has  perished  !"  said  n  young  man. 

"  And  so  has  my  poor  baby !"  added  a  woman,  amid 
heart-rending  sobs. 

The  man  who  was  the  object  of  this  outburst  of  popu- 
lar indignation  was  trembling  from  head  to  foot,  and  could 
utter  only  faint  denials. 

"  You  scoundrel !"  shouted  a  man  among  the  crowd, 
"you  set  fire  to  your  house  to  swindle  the  insurance 
companies." 

"  No  doubt  of  it,"  said  another  ;  "  and  at  the  same 
time  he  wanted  to  cash  the  full  amount  of  his  policy, 


64  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

after  insuring  to  twenty  times  their  value  the  poisonous 
liquors  he  sells  us." 

At  these  words,  an  infuriated  fellow,  grasping  the  saloon- 
keeper by  the  neck,  commenced  to  beat  him.  Soon  others 
kicked  the  wretch,  and  the  crowd,  which  by  this  time  had 
considerably  augmented  since  the  beginning  of  this  inci- 
dent, shouted,  to  a  man,  "  Hang  him  !  hang  him  !" 

These  savage  threatenings,  quite  unexpectedly,  were  the 
means  of  saving  the  bar-keeper's  life.  A  well-dressed 
gentleman,  very  likely  a  lawyer — for,  according  to  Asmo- 
deus, lawyers  always  emerge  from  the  ground  at  the 
slightest  sound  of  a  riot  or  other  disturbance — stepped 
forward  and  exclaimed,  in  a  stentorian  voice,  that  the  law 
ought  to  follow  its  course  ;  that  the  bar-keeper,  whether 
innocent  or  guilty,  was  entitled  to  be  judged  by  a  jury  of 
free  men. 

"  We  are  not,"  said  he,  "  in  Texas,  or  in  a  new  territory, 
where  there  is  no  other  law  save  that  of  brutal  force — no 
other  magistrate  than  Judge  Lynch  !  We  have  the  honor 
to  be  citizens  of  the  first  State,  by  its  wealth  and  popula- 
tion, of  the  American  Union  ;  and  the  citizens  of  a  coun- 
try unrivaled  in  the  world  must  respect  its  laws.  Be- 
sides," said  he,  in  winding  up  his  harangue,  "  if  you  permit 
yourselves  to  be  led  away  by  rashness,  if  you  trample  upon 
the  sacred  rights  vouchsafed  to  us  all,  you  will  be  false  to 
your  American  origin.  Foreigners  only — Irishmen  only — 
may  be  bold  and  unruly  enough  to  deprive  a  citizen  of  the 
benefit  of  the  law  in  a  free  country  !" 

For  fear  of  being  mistaken  for  Irishmen,  the  rioters 
gave  up  their  project  of  hanging  the  bar-keeper,  and  he 
was  taken  in  charge  by  two  policemen,  who  had  just  made 
their  appearance,  when  the  crowd  scattered  in  every  di- 
rection. 


CHAPTER    VI. 
» 

IN   WHICH   ASMODEUS   RELATES   A   SAD   MISTAKE   OF   JUDGE 
LYNCH. 

HO  is  this  Judge  Lynch  ?"  said  I  to  Asmodeus, 
when  on  board  the  ferry-boat. 

"  In  Western  wilds,"  said  he,  "  and  in  terri- 
tories not  yet  provided  with  regular  forms  of 
government,  the  rude  pioneers  know  no  other  form  of  ju- 
risdiction, no  other  form  of  proceeding,  no  other  penalty, 
than  those  of  Judge  Lynch.  Such  was  the  name,  it  ap- 
pears, of  the  settler  who  first  advised  the  pioneers,  in  cases 
of  murder  and  robbery,  to  take  the  law  into  their  own 
hands,  and  to  vindicate,  in  a  summary  manner,  outraged 
justice  and  society.  As  there  are  no  jails  in  those  vast 
regions  just  redeemed  from  the  red  man,  the  settlers,  not 
knowing  what  to  do  with  evil-doers,  deal  with  all  of  them 
in  the  same  manner — that  is,  they  hang  them. 

"  However,  the  incident  we  have  just  witnessed  reminds 
me  of  quite  an  interesting  episode,  which  exhibits,  in  a  sad 
and  striking  manner,  the  danger  of  these  popular  verdicts  ; 
and  I  have  just  time  enough  to  relate  it  before  the  boat 
reaches  the  New- York  side. 

"  A  few  months  ago,  on  Christmas  eve,  Doctor  Hamill, 
a  friend  of  mine,  invited  me  to  spend  that  holiday  with 
him — an  anniversary  always  impatiently  looked  for  and 
religiously  observed  in  the  United  States.  A  particular 


66  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

circumstance  made  that  festival,  last  year,  doubly  pleasant 
to  the  doctor.  His  father,  an  old  gentleman  of  nearly 
eighty,  had  decided  to  celebrate  his  golden  wedding — 
that  is,  having  married  fifty  years  before,  he  meant  to 
make,  according  to  American  custom,  the  fiftieth  anni- 
versary of  his  marriage  a  great  family  reunion. 

"  I  accepted  the  invitation,  and  we  set  out  on  our  jour- 
ney. The  doctor's  family  resides  about  one  hundred  miles 
from  New- York,  and  his  dwelling  is  reached  by  means  of 
one  of  the  many  railroads  which  connect  the  metropolis 
with  the  remotest  parts  of  the  State. 

"  When  we  arrived  at  a  small  place  called  Middletown, 
our  journey  was  brought  to  a  sudden  stop.  A  snow-storm 
had  been  raging  for  two  hours,  and  the  locomotive  was 
suddenly  stopped  by  the  huge  mountains  of-  snow  which 
the  wind  had  piled  up  in  the  valley  where  Middletown  is 
situated.  So  we  were  obliged  to  stay  there  until  the  com- 
pany's employees  had  made  a  pathway  for  us. 

"  Very  luckily — a  fact  which  no  traveler  in  the  United 
States  will  wonder  at — we  found  a  large  and  convenient 
hotel  in  Middletown ;  and  as  we  could  not  resume  our 
journey  until  the  next  day,  the  young  people  among  the 
travelers  soon  arranged  to  have  a  ball  in  the  parlors  of 
the  hotel,  and  thus  turned  an  unpleasant  incident  into  a 
merry  one. 

"  The  sedate  men  of  our  party,  (and  I  was  one  of  them,) 
after  enjoying  a  few  moments  the  sight  of  the  dancing,  re- 
paired to  another  room  for  the  purpose  of  playing  whist. 
While  the  waiters  were  bringing  in  tables  and  cards,  Doc- 
tor Hamill  offered  us  some  genuine  Havana  segars,  and 
related  the  following  circumstance  : 

"'I  witnessed,  many  years  ago,'  said  he,  'a  never-to-be- 
forgotten  drama  in  this  very  village  of  Middletown,  where 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  67 

the  snow-storm  now  detains  us.  It  was,  like  to-day, 
Christmas  eve,  and  I  was  on  my  way  to  the  small  town 
of  Amenia,  where  my  family  resides,  to  spend  with  them 
the  holidays.  But  a  mishap  prevented,  as  you  will  see,  my 
joining  them.  At  the  time  I  speak  of,  Amenia  was  not 
connected  by  railway  with  New- York.  An  entire  day  and 
night — not  a  few  hours,  as  to-day — were  required  to  reach 
there.  When  we  arrived  at  Middletown,  the  driver  of  a 
coach  containing  six  seats,  in  which  twelve  travelers  had 
been  closely  packed  together,  declined  to  go  further. 
None  of  us  insisted  that  he  should  take  us  that  day  to 
our  destination,  ten  miles  further,  as  night  was  coming  on 
and  a  severe  snow-storm  had  set  in.  We  stopped  at  the 
only  inn  then  in  the  village,  and  after  warming  our  limbs 
by  a  wood  fire,  we  repaired  to  the  beds  which  had  been 
prepared  for  us.  At  about  midnight,  we  were  awakened 
by  the  opening  and  shutting  of  doors  and  by  terrific 
shrieks.  We  got  out  of  bed  at  once,  and  inquired  of 
some  servants  we  met  in  the  hall  the  meaning  of  the 
noise  that  had  disturbed  our  sleep.  The  servants  were 
so  frightened  they  could  hardly  speak.  At  last,  in  an- 
swer to  our  inquiry,  they  pointed  to  a  great  light  in  an 
open  space  in  front  of  the  inn.  We  went  out  and  saw  a 
man  hanging  from  a  post  over  which  our  host  placed  a 
lantern  every  nigfyt.  The  unfortunate  man  was  struggling 
in  the  last  agonies  of  death  !  About  fifty  men,  armed  with 
rifles,  surrounded  him  and  kept  the  lookers-on  at  a  dis- 
tance. Some  of  these  men  had  blackened  their  faces  ; 
others  concealed  theirs  by  the  folds  of  their  cloaks  or 
broad-brimmed  hats.  A  short  distance  from  the  post  a 
fire  was  burning,  and  its  red  light,  reflecting  on  the  crowd, 
the  wretch  swinging  in  the  air,  and  the  snow-storm,  then 
fiercely  raging,  made  of  the  whole  proceeding  a  scene  of 


68  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

horror  and  desolation.  After  a  short  time,  the  contortions 
of  the  wretched  man  ceased ;  the  rope  holding  him  up 
was  cut,  and  his  body  fell  heavily  to  the  ground.  Two 
men  among  the  mob  then  threw  it  into  a  wagon  and 
drove  away  at  full  spetd,  while  others  scattered  the  em- 
bers of  the  smouldering  fire  in  every  direction,  and  soon 
every  thing  was  enveloped  in  darkness. 

"  We  returned  to  the  inn,  none  of  us,  as  may  be  im- 
agined, disposed  to  sleep  again  after«  the  terrible  scene  we 
had  witnessed.  We  stood  in  the  bar-room,  and  waited  for 
the  dawn  of  day  ;  indulging,  from  time  to  time  in  smoking, 
and  drinking  whisky-punches.  Neither  did  our  host  de- 
vote to  sleep  the  rest  of  that  eventful  night.  He  kept  us 
company,  and  anticipating  our  desire,  related  the  circum- 
stances which  had  brought  on  the  awful  transaction  we 
were  talking  about. 

"  The  man  who  had  just  been  hung,  our  host  informed 
us,  was,  a  few  days  previously,  one  of  the  most  popular  and 
esteemed  citizens  of  the  country.  He  was  the  son  of  a 
highly  respectable  farmer  living  a  short  distance  from 
Middletown,  and  his  marriage  with  one  of  the  prettiest 
girls  of  the  village  was  to  have  taken  place  the  day  after 
Christmas.  He  had  received  the  education  most  of  the 
American  people  obtain  from  our  free  schools,  and  helped 
his  father  in  the  management  of  his  farm.  He  used  to 
come  and  spend  a  few  hours  every  week,  at  the  very  inn 
we  were  then  stopping  at,  and  which  was  a  favorite  resort, 
especially  on  Saturdays,  for  farmers  living  ten  miles  around. 
He  was  a  young  man  of  affable  disposition,  frank  and 
open  in  conversation,  and  was  always  welcomed  by  his 
neighbors.  The  conviction  that  he  had  committed  an 
awful  crime  was  certainly  deeply  rooted  in  their  minds  ; 
for  they  were,  according  to  our  host,  the  very  men  who, 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  69 

taking  in  their  own  hands  the  vindication  of  the  law  and 
of  society,  had  put  George  Harris — such  was  the  name  of 
the  young  man  so  summarily  dealt  with — to  death.  Five 
days  before,  he  had  gone  to  a  small  town  named  Gregory, 
about  ten  miles  from  Middletown,  for  the  purpose  of  pur- 
chasing some  wedding-gifts.  He  met  there  a  young  doc- 
tor, named  Plunkett,  who  was  then  collecting  his  bills,  as 
was  then,  and  perhaps  is  now,  the  custom  of  country  phy- 
sicians, at  the  end  of  the  year.  The  doctor  had  been  very 
successful ;  for  he  had  collected  about  one  thousand  dol- 
lars, nearly  the  whole  amount  due  him  by  the  country  peo- 
ple. The  two  young  men  spent  together  a  part  of  the  day 
at  Gregory,  and  left  in  the  afternoon,  as  was  stated  by 
some  witnesses,  and  admitted  by  Harris  himself.  But 
while  the  latter  reached  his  home,  Doctor  Plunkett  was 
doomed  to  see  his  own  no  more.  His  corpse  was  found 
about  two  miles  from  his  home,  the  day  after  he  had  met 
George  Harris,  and  at  the  very  spot  where  they  had  sepa- 
rated. His  horse  had  returned  without  his  master,  and 
some  relatives  and  friends,  uneasy  about  his  absence,  had 
gone  in  search  of  him.  The  poor  man  had  been  shot 
in  the  head  while,  doubtless,  talking  with  the  murderer. 
Plunder  had  evidently  been  the  motive  of  the  foul  deed  ; 
for  a  few  dollars  only  were  found  in  the  pockets  of  Plun- 
kett's  coat ;  while  it  was  found,  from  the  testimony  of  many 
persons,  and  a  memorandum  made  by  the  doctor  himself, 
that  he  had  collected  over  one  thousand  dollars.  When 
found,  he  was  holding  in  his  right  hand  a  small  pocket- 
book,  which  he  had  evidently  snatched  from  the  murderer 
during  the  struggle  which,  according  to  the  relatives  and 
friends  of  the  doctor,  had  preceded  his  assassination. 
This  pocket-book  revealed  the  perpetrator  of  the  crime  ; 
on  the  first  page  the  name  of  George  Harris  was  written  ; 


70  Asmodens  in  New -York. 

and  while  many  persons  recognized  at  once  the  hand-writ- 
ing of  the  young  man,  others  asserted  that  they  had  seen 
the  pocket-book  in  his  possession  on  the  very  day  the  mur- 
der had  been  committed. 

" '  The  county  judge  and  the  sheriff  went  at  once  to  the 
farm  of  George  Harris's  father.  George  was  absent ;  he 
had  gone  to  Middletown,  for  the  purpose  of  settling  a  few 
bills,  and  he  had  already  paid  five  hundred  dollars  when 
he  was  arrested,  in  the  very  room  of  the  inn  in  which  we 
were  standing  and  listening  to  our  host.  Harris  was  very 
much  astonished  and  depressed  on  hearing  of  the  violent 
death  of  Doctor  Plunkett,  and  gave  the  following  details 
concerning  his  acquaintance  and  transactions  with  the 
murdered  man.  According  to  him,  he  had  met  the  doc- 
tor in  the  town  of  Gregory,  on  the  homeward  journey  of 
the  latter  from  his  collecting  trip.  Harris  had  never  seen 
him  before,  yet  their  acquaintance  ripened,  in  a  few  hours, 
to  such  an  intimacy,  that  the  doctor  lent  George  five  hun 
dred  dollars  on  hearing  of  his  lack  of  money  to  defray  his 
wedding  expenses.  Plunkett  had  refused  any  written  ac- 
knowledgment for  his  loan,  declaring  he  would  not  con- 
sent to  be  reimbursed  until  his  new  friend  should  be  "in 
better  circumstances.  As  a  token  of  friendship,  he  would 
accept  only  the  pocket-book  which  Harris  had  just  pur- 
chased, and  in  which  he  (Harris)  had  written  his  name. 
Nobody  was  present  during  this  transaction  ;  and  both 
friends,  after  spending  a  few  hours  together  at  Gregory, 
had  returned  home,  separating  at  a  branching-off  of  the 
road. 

"  'None  among  the  magistrates — not  even  his  best  friends 
— could  believe  George  Harris  as  to  the  way  he  alleged 
the  money  had  come  into  his  possession.  Who  could  be- 
lieve that  a  man  whom  he  did  not  know  the  day  before 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  71 

had  loaned  him  such  a  large  sum  of  money  ?  The  suspi- 
cions derived  from  the  discovery  of  the  pocket-book  were 
on  the  increase,  when  two  new  facts  corroborated  the  cir- 
cumstantial evidence  which  pointed  out  Harris  to  be  the 
murderer.  In  searching  the  house  of  George's  father,  the 
sheriff  found  a  revolver,  one  barrel  of  which  had  been  re- 
cently discharged  ;  and  it  was  stated,  besides,  that  George, 
after  returning  home  on  the  day  of  the  murder,  had  begged 
one  of  his  sisters  to  wash  his  clothes.  When  questioned 
about  this  circumstance,  she  declared  that  those  clothes 
were  saturated  with  blood  ;  and  as  regards  t'he  revolver, 
that  weapon  was  recognized  as  belonging  to  the  doctor. 
In  fact,  only  one  revolver  had  been  found  in  the  doctor's 
possession,  though  it  was  well  known  he  carried  two  when 
riding  out. 

"  '  Harris  explained  the  above  facts  as  follows  :  he  as- 
serted that  Doctor  Plunkett,  before  they  separated,  and  as 
night  was  coming  on,  had  lent  him  one  of  his  revolvers,  to 
protect  his  life  in  case  of  need  ;  and,  concerning  his  blood- 
stained garments,  he  related  that,  a  few  minutes  after  leav- 
ing the  doctor,  he  heard  the  report  of  a  gun.  About  the 
same  time,  a  wounded  deer  ran  by ;  and  hoping  to  finish 
it,  he  had  shot  at  the  deer  with  the  doctor's  revolver,  and 
brought  it  down.  Then,  alighting  to  carry  off  his  prize, 
he  had  the  disappointment  to  see  the  deer  spring  to  its 
feet — nay,  shaking  off  his  assailant  and  covering  him  with 
blood,  the  beast  had  escaped  in  the  woods. 

" '  Unfortunately  for  George  Harris,  the  investigations 
made  on  the  spot  failed  to  confirm  his  explanation.  No- 
where in  the  woods  could  be  seen  any  trace  of  the  struggle 
which  he  said  had  taken  place  between  him  and  the  deer. 
On  the  contrary,  and  as  a  convincing  proof  of  Harris's 
guilt,  near  the  spot  where  the  doctor  had  fallen,  a  ball  of 


72  Asmodeus  in  New -York, 

wadding  was  found,  which  no  doubt  had  served  to  load  the 
murderer's  weapon.  This  wadding  was  formed  of  pieces 
of  an  old  country  newspaper ;  and  when  the  other  barrels 
of  the  revolver  in  Harris's  possession  were  emptied,  it  was 
stated  that  their  wadding  was  composed  of  the  same  mate- 
rial! 

"  '  All  these  circumstances  left  no  doubt  in  the  magis- 
trate's mind,  and  even  in  that  of  his  neighbors  and  friends, 
that  Harris  had  murdered  Doctor  Plunkett ;  and  he  him- 
self but  slightly  persisted  in  denying  the  charges  preferred 
against  him,  as  proof  after  proof  of  his  culpability  was 
brought  forward.  He  was  taken  to  the  county  jail ;  but 
fearing  he  might  escape,  and  for  the  sake  of  an  exam- 
ple, the  country  people  had  burst  open  the  doors  of  the  jail, 
and,  in  spite  of  an  energetic  opposition  from  the  sheriff 
and  his  assistants,  they  had  removed  the  prisoner,  and 
hung  him  in  front  of  the  inn  at  which  we  were  stopping. 

" '  Early  the  next  day,  the  snow-storm  had  subsided  • 
the  sun  rose  amid  a  clear  atmosphere,  and  we  were  soon 
in  readiness  to  resume  our  journey.  After  packing  up  our 
clothes  and  paying  our  expenses,  we  drove  off,  with  a  feel- 
ing of  relief  in  leaving  Middletown. 

"  '  It  is  rather  a  singular  thing,'  pursued  Doctor  Hamill, 
*  but  it  is  nevertheless  true,  that  though  I  have,  time  and 
again,  traveled  through  this  village,  to-day  is  the  first  time 
I  have  stopped  here  since  the  dreadful  occurrence  I  have 
just  related.  The  inn  which  at  that  time  sheltered  us  (and 
in  similar  circumstances  to  those  which  have  interrupted  our 
journey)  has  disappeared  ;  it  has  been  replaced  by  a  build- 
ing adequate  to  the  exigencies  of  the  times  and  the  increase 
of  the  town.  New  streets  have  been  opened  ;  elegant  man- 
sions have  been  built;  every  thing  here  now  breathes  of 
happiness  and  contentment ;  and  I  know  of  no  place  more 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  73 

lovely  in  the  fall  than  this  small  town,  with  its  winding  ri- 
vulet coursing  down  the  hills,  looking  like  a  belt  of  silver, 
and  those  beautiful  hills  themselves  covered  with  trees  of 
golden  foliage.  But  notwithstanding  all  these  beauties,  I 
feel  uneasy  here.  I  fancy  I  again  see  Judge  Lynch  with 
his  terrible  followers  ;  the  red  flames  of  the  fire  which  lit 
up  the  forms  of  the  bloody  men,  wrapped  in  their  cloaks 
and, hiding  their  faces,  as  if  ashamed  of  their  actions  ;  and, 
lastly,  that  miserable  wretch,  swinging  in  the  air,  and  who, 
I  imagined,  cried  out,  "  I  die  innocent ! " 

"Doctor  Hamill  was  here  interrupted  by  a  heart- 
rending groan  from  an  adjoining  room,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  landlord  came  in,  and  inquired  whether  there  was 
not  a  physician  among  us,  who  could  do  something  for  a 
traveler,  who  had  arrived  the  day  before,  and  was  now 
suffering  intense  pain.  The  doctor  instantly  followed  the 
landlord,  saying,  however,  that  he  would  soon  return,  as 
he  felt  anxious  to  play  whist  by  the  side  of  the  bright 
wood-fire — that  unparalleled  rare  luxury  to  a  New-Yorker. 

"  But  it  seemed  to  be  fated  that  we  should  not  play 
whist  that  night,  in  the  pretty  village  of  Middletown,  as 
you  will  see ;  for  Dr.  HamilPs  visit  to  the  patient  in  the 
next  room  lasted  over  two  hours,  and  we  were  just  on  the 
point  of  retiring  to  our  sleeping-apartments  (it  being  now 
midnight)  when  he  reappeared  among  us.  His  face  was 
singularly  altered,  and  as  white  as  the  snow  which  con- 
tinued to  pelt  against  the  windows.  He  emptied,  one 
after  the  other,  two  glasses  of  the  whisky-punch  we  had 
duly  appreciated  while  waiting  for  him  ;  and  after  recover- 
ing the  balance  of  his  mind — to  use  his  own  expression — 
the  doctor  gave  the  following  explanation  of  his  long 
absence. 

" '  I  have  always  distrusted,'  said  he,  '  the  voice  of  the 


74  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

people — irreverently  assimilated  to  the  voice  of  God. 
People  may  err  in  their  judgment  and  acts  as  well  as  a 
single  individual.  More  than  that :  I  hold  that  a  crowd 
of  persons,  acting  under  the  heat  of  the  moment,  is  more 
liable  to  commit  errors  than  a  single  individual.  They 
excite  each  other,  their  imagination  reaches  to  an  extrava- 
gant pitch,  and,  unwilling  to  wait  for  the  "  sober  second 
thought"  which  would  bring  them  back  to  reason,  they 
instantly  begin  to  execute  extreme  measures,  adopted 
under  the  spur  of  passion,  and  from  which  any  sensible 
man,  conscious  of  his  responsibility,  would  certainly  recoil. 
In  the  United  States,  especially,  with  a  people  fickle  and 
easily  excited,  great  danger  is  to  be  apprehended  from 
these  verdicts  of  the  mob,  these  tumultuous  manifestations 
of  public  opinion,  which  are  too  often  mistaken  for  truth 
and  justice.  The  masses,  obeying  too  sudden  impulses, 
blinded  by  anger  and  resentment,  know  no  control,  no 
obstacle,  to  restrain  them,  and  therefore  use  unmercifully 
an  irresponsible  power,  to  the  possible  detriment  of  reason, 
justice,  and  humanity. 

" '  I  needed  this  exordium  as  a  fit  preface  for  the 
melancholy  scene  I  have  just  witnessed  in  the  next  room. 
A  man  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  who  appeared  to  have  been 
once  possessed  of  a  strongly-built  frame,  was  writhing 
under  the  most  acute  torture.  I  saw  at  once  that  his 
earthly  career  must  soon  end,  and  I  gave  him  a  few  drops 
of  a  strengthening  cordial.  When,  after  much  trouble  and 
difficulty,  I  succeeded  in  obtaining  from  the  patient  some 
explanation  respecting  the  locality  and  progress  of  his 
sufferings,  I  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  he  was  dying 
through  starvation  and  exhaustion !  His  hollow  cheeks 
and  wild  staring  eyes  made  him  a  dreadful  sight  to 
behold.  His  bony  afms,  which  he  kept  most  of  the  timg 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  75 

over  his  head,  made,  when  in  motion,  the  same  noise  as 
those  of  a  skeleton,  and  his  voice  was  so  weak  I  was 
obliged  to  lean  over  his  ghastly  face  -to  understand  what 
he  meant.  I  gave  him  another  cordial,  mixing  with  it  a 
few  drops  of  laudanum,  and  he  soon  experienced  some 
relief. 

"  '  Thanking  me  for  my  attention,  "  I  feel,"  said  he,  "  all 
is  up  with  me  in  this  world.  I  may  have  one  hour  to  live, 
but  no  more.  I  will  avail  myself  of  that  time  to  confess  to 
you  an  awful  crime.  Remorse  has  long  preyed  upon  my 
mind  ;  for  fifteen  years  I  have  led  a  miserable  life.  I 
believe  I  ought  not  to  carry  with  me  to  my  grave  a  secret 
which  I  feel  I  can  reveal,  at  the  present  time,  without 
danger  to  myself,  while  my  confession  may  be  the  means, 
perhaps,  at  some  future  day,  of  saving  the  life  of  a  fellow- 
mortal  from  the  impetuosity  of  a  mob,  misled  by  preju- 
dices or  a  sudden  thirst  for  blood. 

11(11 1  was  hardly  twenty  years  old  when  the  sad  event  I  am 
now  about  to  reveal  occurred.  I  had  unhappily  fallen  into 
the  company  of  men  who  possessed  no  scruples  about  the 
means  to  obtain  money,  and  who  gave  full  reins  to  their  evil 
passions.  We  passed  most  of  the  day  and  night  in 
gambling-houses  and  other  places  of  resort  for  idle  and 
corrupt  persons ;  and  when  we  grew  tired  of  that  life  or 
deemed  it  prudent  to  disappear,  for  a  while,  from  town,  we 
repaired  to  the  woods,  living  on  game  and  plunder.  One  day, 
we  were  (one  of  my  boon  companions  and  myself)  lying  nigh 
a  ditch,  waiting  to  shoot  game.  Thick  bushes  prevented 
the  passers-by  from  seeing  us.  Night  was  coming  on, 
and,  tired  of  our  long  watch,  we  were  just  about  giving 
it  up,  when  we  perceived  two  men  on  horseback  coming 
straight  in  our  direction.  They  stopped  in  front  of  us,  to 
exchange  parting  words  ;  for  the  road  branched  off  at  that 


76  Asviodeus  in  New -York. 

place,  and,  as  their  conversation  led  us  to  believe,  they 
had  to  take  opposite  directions  to  get  home.  One  of  them 
was  profuse  in  his  thanks  for  a  loan  of  five  hundred  dol- 
lars, and  anxiously  insisted  on  giving  his  friend  a  receipt 
for  said  loan.  But  the  lender  resolutely  declined  to 
receive  it.  '  Then  take  this  pocket-book,'  said  the  bor- 
rower, and  keep  it  as  a  token  of  the  friendship  which 
will  forever  unite  us.'  The  horseman  accepted  the  gift : 
but,  at  the  same  time,  drawing  a  revolver  from  his  coat 
— 'Gift  for  gift,'  said  he  merrily;  'as  you  are  now  a 
capitalist,  and  as  night  is  approaching,  you  want  a  weapon 
to  protect  your  treasure.  As  for  me,'  showing  another 
revolver,  '  I  have  this  to  protect  my  carpet-bag,  in  which 
is  the  balance  of  my  money.'  At  these  last  words,  after 
heartily  shaking  hands,  they  separated. 

"  * "  We  had  not  missed  one  word  of  this  conversation, 
and  the  same  devilish  idea  flashed  through  our  minds 
when  we  heard  one  of  the  horsemen  speak  of  the  money 
he  had  collected.  We  were  strangers  in  that  part  of  the 
country,  and  could  travel  one  hundred  miles  from  it  before 
another  sun  had  set.  Hidden  by  the  thick  bushes  which 
bordered  the  road,  we  followed  the  horseman  about  one 
hundred  yards,  and  then  stopped  at  an  angle  of  the  road 
which  he  had  to  cross.  A  few  seconds  after,  he  was  in 
sight.  '  Take  charge  of  the  man,  arid  I  will  look  after 
the  deer,'  whispered  my  companion,  pointing  out  a  stag  at 
some  distance.  We  fired  at  the  same  time  ;  but  while  the 
horseman  fell  to  the  ground  a  corpse,  the  stag,  though 
wounded,  had  sufficient  strength  to  run  away,  tracing  the 
course  of  his  flight  by  his  blood.  We  found  five  hundred 
dollars  in  the  carpet-bag  of  the  horseman,  who  was  holding 
in  his  hand  the  pocket-book  which  his  friend  had  pre- 
sented him  a  few  minutes  before.  Then,  as  we  were  hun- 


Asmodcus  in  New -York.  77 

gry,  we  searched  for  the  wounded  deer.  We  found  it  lying 
in  a  hollow ;  and  while  we  were  cutting  it  in  pieces,  we  made 
a  discovery  that  greatly  puzzled  us.  Though  my  com- 
panion had  fired  only  once,  the  beast  had  been  hit  twice- 
Anyhow,  we  hastily  left  the  wood  and  that  bloody  scene, 
in  which  I  had  played  the  principal  part.  Twenty  days 
later,  we  reached  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  on  our  way, 
with  a  thousand  other  adventurers,  to  newly  discovered 
gold  mines.  When  we  arrived  at  the  borders  of  civiliza- 
tion, and  were  on  the  eve  of  moving  into  the  endless  soli- 
tudes of  the  great  West,  we  purchased  a  lot  of  newspapers, 
as  is  usual  with  pioneers,  with  the  view  of  lightening  the 
tediousness  of  a  long  journey.  In  one  of  those  papers  I 
read  an  account  of  the  murder  I  had  committed,  and  thus 
learned  the  name  of  the  horseman  my  rifle  had  mortally 
wounded.  His  name  was  Plunkett,  and  he  was  a  physi- 
cian. I  read  in  another  newspaper  that  his  supposed  mur- 
derer— a  young  man  named  George  Harris,  the  same  who 
had  given  the  pocket-book,  as  a  token  of  friendship,  to  the 
physician — had  been  hanged.  This  George  Harris,  fifteen 
years  ago  to-day,  was  taken  out  of  jail  by  an  infuri- 
ated mob,  and  put  to  death  for  a  crime  I  alone  had  com- 
mitted! Since  this  discovery,  that  crime  has  heavily 
weighed  on  my  conscience,  and  my  life  has  been  one  of 
continual  suffering.  I  vainly  tried  to  procure  by  hard  work 
a  respite  from  the  remorse  that  was  fast  consuming  my 
strength.  Even  the  sight  of  gold  (and  I  found  large  nug- 
gets almost  without  any  trouble,  while  my  companions 
could  find  but  small  bits  of  the  precious  metal)  had  the 
effect  to  increase  my  grief  and  suffering  ;  for  I  had  become 
a  murderer  for  the  possession  of  it !  My  mind  gradu- 
ally gave  way ;  every  night  I  had  terrible  dreams,  in 
which  I  saw  a  violent  mob  hang  the  unfortunate  Harris, 


78  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

while  he  was  protesting  his  innocence.  Soon  after,  it 
seemed  to  be  my  turn  to  become  the  object  of  the  mob's 
fury.  Laboring  under  a  frightful  hallucination,  I  felt  the 
executioners,  with  their  rough  hands,  pass  the  fatal  noose 
around  my  neck,  and  drawing  it  closer  and  closer,  until, 
my  breath,  leaving  my  body,  I  fell  a  corpse  from  the  post ! 
What  is  truly  horrible  and  unaccountable  is,  that,  after 
those  dreadful  nights,  and  while  the  song  of  birds  and  the 
splendors  of  the  rising  sun  and  the  morning's  perfumed 
breezes  seemed  to  invite  mankind  to  renewed  life  and  hap- 
piness, this  awful  hallucination  still  clung  to  me  !  Wide 
awake  as  I  was,  I  imagined  I  still  felt  the  rope  gradually 
pressing  against  my  neck ;  I  became  almost  suffocated  ; 
my  throat  seemed  to  grow  narrower,  and  in  spite  of  all 
my  efforts  I  could  not  swallow  food  ! 

"  "  You  now  understand  how  I  thus  gradually  became 
lean  and  shrunken  up  like  a  skeleton,  and  why  all  reme- 
dies are  powerless  to  prolong  my  life  !" 

"  '  After  this  frightful  confession,  the  unfortunate  man 
sank  back  on  his  bed,  his  pulse  rapidly  decreased,  and  I 
found  it  was  useless  to  give  him  any  more  of  the  cordial 
I  had  previously  administered.  I  had  scarcely  time  to 
perform  another  important  duty.  Tearing  out  a  blank  leaf 
from  my  diary,  I  hastily  wrote  the  following  declaration, 
taken  from  the  lips  of  the  dying  man  : 

" '  "  At  this  solemn  moment,  and  soon  to  appear  before 
my  God,  I  declare  that,  on  the  twentieth  day  of  December, 
18 — ,  I  murdered  Doctor  Plunkett,  and  am  the  sole  author 
of  the  crime  for  which  George  Harris  was  hung  by  the 
people." 

" ' "  Sign,"  said  I,  holding  the  murderer's  hand,  after 
reading  him  the  few  lines  I  had  written.  "  If  George 
Harris's  parents  are  alive,  your  declaration  may  cheer  their 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  79 

remaining  days,  and  you  will  leave  this  world  more  con- 
tented in  mind  by  offering  to  the  victim  of  a  fatal  error 
the  only  reparation  that  now  lies  in  your  power." 

" '  He  signed  with  a  bold  hand,  and  whispered  a  few 
words  of  satisfaction  at  what  he  had  done.  Then  he  closed 
his  eyes — stretched  out  his  arms — the  death-rattle  ap- 
peared, and  a  slight  spasm  told  me  that  Doctor  Plunkett's 
murderer  was  no  more ! ' 

"After  pronouncing  these  last  words,  Doctor  Hamill  took 
from  his  pocket-book  a  small  sheet  of  paper  on  which  was 
written  the  murderer's  confession.  After  we  had  examined 
the  document  and  satisfied  our  curiosity,  the  doctor  put  it 
back  in  his  pocket-book. 

" '  I  will  carry  it  with  me,'  said  he,  '  as  long  as  I  live. 
Who  can  say  I  shall  never  again  witness  Judge  Lynch's 
nocturnal  revels  ?  or  that  I  shall  never  sit  as  a  juror?  In 
the  first  place,  that  declaration  will  go  far  to  calm  a  popular 
outburst,  and  to  secure,  as  the  murderer  himself  hoped  it 
would,  to  any  man  charged  with  a  capital  offense,  the  pro- 
tection of  the  law ;  and,  in  the  second  place,  it  will  help 
me  to  demonstrate  to  my  brother  jurors  that,  when  the  life 
of  a  fellow-creature  is  at  stake,  something  more  than  a 
chain  of  circumstantial  evidence  is  needed  to  authorize 
society  to  take  away  his  life.'  " 

The  ferry-boat  had  reached. the  New- York  side  at  the 
very  moment  Asmodeus  terminated  this  impressive  narra- 
tive. 

"  Every  body  should  read  this  dreadful  story,"  said  I. 
"  On  seeing  how  very  possible  it  is  to  make  mistakes,  the 
Americans  should  be  less  hasty  in  depriving  a  mah  of  the 
benefits  of  the  law." 

"  Undoubtedly,"  answered  Asmodeus  ;  "  still,  in  the 
sparsely  populated  cities  of  the  Far  West,  the  terror 


8o  Asmodetis  in  New -York. 

inspired  by  Judge  Lynch  is,  to  some  extent,  salutary. 
I  even  believe  the  same  summary  practice  would  be  pro- 
ductive of  much  good  were  it  resorted  to,  from  time  to 
time,  in  some  of  our  large  cities  ;  as,  perhaps,  there  is  no 
other  means  to  relieve  them  of  the  many  scoundrels  and 
rogues  who  infest  them,  and  whose  political  connections 
secure  them  from  the  stringency  of  the  law.  Indeed,  I 
would  not  have  objected  to  the  hanging  of  that  bar-keeper, 
who  is  guilty  of  the  most  atrocious  crime,  and  whose 
avariciousness  has  caused  the  untimely  death  of  a  score 
of  poor  people.  All  the  charges  brought  against  him  by 
the  mob  were  true  to  the  letter,  and  he  was  indeed  fortu 
nate  in  having  his  life  spared,  through  the  interference  of  a 
pompous  lawyer.  But  lawyers  are  meddlesome  fellows ; 
they  are  forever  poking  their  noses  into  every  affair. 
To-day,  you  shall  see  those  of  New-York  at  work  ;  for  I 
propose  to  show  you,  after  you  have  taken  a  little  rest,  how 
justice  is  administered  in  the  United  States." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

WHICH   MAY    BE   PASSED  OVER,    IF    THE  READER   DOES   NOT 
CARE  TO  READ  D.  D.  MERRYMAN'S  ADVENTURES. 

HAD,  indeed,  great  need  of  rest :  I  was  ex- 
eedingly  tired,  both  in  body  and  mind,  which 
unpleasant  state  may  be  readily  imagined  from 
my  excursion  with  Asmodeus  and  the  terri- 
ble scenes  through  which  we  had  passed.  Still,  I  could 
enjoy  but  little  repose,  so  busy  was  my  mind  with 
the  many  incidents  of- that  excursion.  Most  assured- 
ly, thought  I,  in  many  respects  the  morals  of  the  Ameri- 
cans are  strange.  We  find  here  a  society  which  is  not  as 
yet  firmly  seated — a  premature  civilization,  which,  like  a 
plant  in  a  conservatory,  has  hacl.no  time  to  ripen  in  con- 
formity with  natural  laws.  But  pure  gold,  I  doubt  not, 
is  largely  mingled  with  scoria.  The  Americans'  love  of 
money  is  very  great ;  but  does  not  Asmodeus  himself  ad- 
mit that  the  evil  is  corrected,  to  a  certain  extent,  by  their 
love  of  luxury  and  by  a  liberality  which  seems  inexhaust- 
ible ?  And  I  recollected,  in  this  respect,  that  no  people, 
in  the  hour  of  want,  had  ever  vainly  appealed  to  the 
Americans.  According  to  Asmodeus,  wealth  is  the  cri- 
terion for  public  estimation,  and  the  standard  of  merit  in 
the  United  States.  But  is  it  not  so  in  every  other 
country?  Here,  every  body  is  more  or  less  engaged  in 
business  ;  and  as  there  is  no  nobility,  no  class  distinctions, 
wealth  or  success  in  some  calling  is  about  the  sole  thing 


82  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

that  can  create  distinction.  Then,  the  observations  of 
Asmodeus  concerning  marriages  in  the  United  States  im- 
pressed me  favorably.  I  felt  pleased  to  know  that  women 
were  left  free  to  choose  their  own  husbands — heiress- 
hunters  being  almost  unknown  and  always  despised  in 
America.  Paternal  power  is  weak,  it  is  true  ;  but  this  is 
the  result  and  consequence  of  democratic  institutions.  It 
is  well  to  be  taught,  from  youth,  to  rely  on  one's  self. 
What  progress  could  a  people,  providentially  designed  to 
settle  a  continent  like  America,  make,  were  they  trammeled 
by  the  many  prejudices,  timid  laws,  and  obnoxious  re- 
straints by  v/hich  the  masses  of  Europe  are  shackled  ? 
And  I  concluded  it  were  wise  not  to  disapprove  too  has- 
tily of  either  the  habits  or  institutions  which  permit  the 
American  people  to  make  such  gigantic  strides  in  the 
career  of  progress  and  power. 

A  burst  of  laughter  here  interrupted  my  meditations. 
I  turned  and  perceived  Asmodeus  standing  beside  me, 
fanning  himself  with  his  handkerchief,  and  in  a  very  mer- 
ry humor. 

"  I  have  just  met,"  said  he,  after  recovering  himself,  "in 
the  hall  of  this  hotel,  a  very  queer  personage — something 
like  an  apparition — a  ghost — a  spirit ;  and  while  you  dress 
yourself,  I  will  relate  to  you  his  adventures.  But  I  must 
candidly  warn  you  that  the  conclusions  you  may  deduce 
from  my  narrative  will  not,  perhaps,  be  in  conformity  with 
the  optimismal  reflections  that  pervaded  your  mind  when 
I  interrupted  you." 

D.  D.  MERRYMAN'S  HISTORY. 

"About  two  years  ago,  the  city  of  Omega,  situated  in 
the  State  of  New- York,  was  thrown  into  much  conster- 
nation, in  consequence  of  a  sad  accident.  The  good 


Asmodens  in  New -York.  83 

people  of  that  lovely  town  were  startled  one  morning,  on 
learning  that  their  beloved  minister,  D.  D.  Merryman,  had 
been  drowned  the  day  before,  while  on  a  fishing  excursion 
with  his  children.  As  the  minister's  clothes  had  been 
found  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  and  his  children  had  de- 
clared they  saw  their  father,  after  swimming  for  a  time, 
sink  beneath  the  waves,  no  one  doubted  the  awful  catas- 
trophe. The  coroner  held  an  inquest,  and  half-a-dozen 
wise  men  of  Omega  returned  a  verdict  of  accidental  death. 
In  consequence  of  this  sad  calamity,  a  New- York  life  in- 
surance company  paid  the  minister's  widow  the  sum  of 
twenty  thousand  dollars,  for  which  the  divine  had  insured 
his  life  a  few  months  before. 

"At  the  time  of  this  occurrence,  Dr.  Merryman  was  a 
great  favorite  with  the  Omega  ladies.  Handsome  and 
good-hearted,  he  had  been  consecrated  when  twenty-three 
years  old,  after  devoting,  for  a  time,  his  theological  talent 
to  Erastus  Braggart's  notorious  agency.  This  Erastus 
Braggart  had  long  been  connected  with  periodicals,  when, 
one  day,  he  published  the  following  advertisement : 

" '  INTELLECTUAL  BUREAU. — Tired  of  newspaper  false- 
hoods and  humbugs,  and  anxious  to  benefit  my  country- 
men, from  this  day  I  place  the  intellectual  faculties  I  have 
been  blessed  with,  as  well  as  the  large  experience  of  the 
world  I  have  acquired,  at  their  disposition.  Henceforth, 
the  Intellectual  Bureau  I  have  just  started  will  furnish  (or- 
ders executed  at  twenty-four  hours'  notice)  epistolary  mas- 
terpieces for  lovers  of  either  sex ;  eloquent  speeches  for 
congressmen  and  politicians  :  sermons  of  the  highest  evan- 
gelical standard  for  ministers  of  the  Gospel ;  circulars  for 
merchants ;  sensation  novels  for  publishers ;  dramas  of 
assured  success  for  authors  ;  and,  for  aspiring  poets  of  the 
United  States,  poetic  works,  compared  to  which,  those  of 


84  Asmodeus  in  New-Y<Jrk. 

Homer  and  Milton  will  sink  into  insignificance.  From 
this  date,  to  attain  either  distinction  or  a  fortune,  or  even 
both,  churchmen,  statesmen,  tradesmen,  men  of  science, 
of  means,  of  large  imagination,  etc.,  etc.,  have  but  to  apply 
to  my  Intellectual  Bureau,  where  other  information,  if  re- 
quired, may  be  obtained.' 

"This  singular  undertaking,  it  is  said,  brought  large 
sums  of  money  to  Erastus  Braggart,  who  kept  in  his  em- 
ploy many  talented  young  men.  There  were  in  the  agency 
a  theological  department,  in  which  were  written  sermons 
for  ministers  of  the  Gospel ;  a  political  department,  whose 
business  it  was  to  keep  ever  ready,  on  every  topic,  thrilling 
speeches  for  congressmen  and  politicians ;  an  academical, 
or  belles-lettres  department ;  and  a  few  others  of  less  im- 
portance. 

"  As  secrecy  was  a  well-understood  condition  of  this  un- 
dertaking, those  among  our  congressmen,  ministers,  and 
authors,  who  dealt  with  Braggart's  agency,  were  not 
known  to  the  outside  world.  But,  though  the  mystery  con- 
cerning it  was  never  cleared  up,  it  is,  nevertheless,  a  well- 
authenticated  fact  that  the  pulpit  and  forum  had  their 
palmiest  days  during  the  agency's  existence. 

"  Merryman,  after  being  consecrated,  to  charm  the  Chris- 
tians of  the  town  of  Omega,  where  he  had  been  sent  to  ex- 
ercise his  vocation,  with  his  eloquence,  had  but  to  open 
his  portfolio  to  find  it  replete  with  sermons  on  every  con- 
ceivable text,  duly  elaborated,  while  in  the  theological  de- 
partment of  the  agency,  for  Braggart's  clients ;  and,  as 
Omega's  faithful  people  were  left  in  blissful  ignorance  that 
others  had  previously  enjoyed  their  pastor's  rhetoric,  they 
lauded  his  learning  and  eloquence  to  the  skies. 

"  However,  as  his  annual  salary  amounted  to  hardly 
eight  hundred  dollars,  on  account  of  the  scanty  contribu- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  85 

tions  of  the  members  of  his  church,  Merryman,  in  the 
second  year  of  his  ministry,  devised,  as  a  means  to  in- 
crease it,  a  very  sagacious  plan.  He  put  up  at  auction  the 
pews  of  his  church,  and,  owing  to  a  preconcerted  under- 
standing with  some  friends,  the  biddings  were  exceedingly 
spirited,  and  the  result  highly  gratifying.  Pews  near  the 
pulpit  were  knocked  down  to  some  ambitious  people  of 
Omega  at  a  large  premium ;  and,  through  this  auction, 
Merryman  carried  his  income  up  to  fifteen  hundred  dol- 
lars. As  soon  as  it  became  known,  this  bold  stroke  of  his 
genius  found  imitators  throughout  the  States.  Ministers 
of  the  Gospel  became  speculators,  and,  instead  of  humbly 
begging  from  the  faithful,  they  sold  them  the  privilege  of 
listening  to  their  sermons.  In  that  way  they  created  for 
themselves  a  pleasant  independence,  while,  at  the  same 
time,  largely  increasing  their  salaries.  The  letting  of 
church-pews  has  now  become  a  very  extensive  practice, 
some  of  them  yielding,  though  the  fact  seems  hardly  credi- 
ble, twenty-five  thousand  dollars  per  annum,  and  even 
more ;  and  such  are  the  inducements  they  present  to  capi- 
talists, that  churches  are  often  built  for  the  sole  purpose  of 
selling  their  pews ! 

"  Having  so  remarkably  improved  his  prospects,  D.  D. 
Merryman  decided  to  marry.  He  had  favorably  noticed 
among  the  female  members  of  his  church,  Cora  Cackling, 
the  daughter  of  a  well-to-do  farmer.  She  was  not  actually 
beautiful,  but  she  had  a  very  pleasant  disposition,  and 
Merryman  thought  her  quite  fitted  to  enliven  his  parson- 
age. Before  the  third  year  of  his  pastorate  had  expired, 
he  fairly  entered  upon  his  honeymoon,  which,  it  is  said, 
sometimes  lasts  the  whole  year  in  the  United  States. 

"  Such,  perchance,  would  have  been  the  case  with  Merry- 
man  and  his  wife,  but  for  Erastus  Braggart's  accidental  visit, 


86  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

a  few  months  after  their  marriage.  The '  Intellectual  Bureau' 
still  continued  in  existence,  supplying,  as  usual,  the  pulpit, 
bar,  and  stage,  with  its  masterpieces.  But  Braggart  now 
aspired  to  play  a  still  more  conspicuous  part.  He  was 
ambitious  to  enlighten  not  only  a  few  classes,  but  the 
whole  of  mankind  ;  and  he  was  busily  engaged  in  estab" 
lishing  a  new  religion,  when,  returning  from  a  trip  for  that 
especial  purpose,  he  made  a  short  stay  at  Omega. 

"It  is  certainly  strange  that  spiritualism,  or  the  pre- 
tended intercourse  with  the  spirits  of  an  invisible  world, 
should  have  made  its  appearance  in  the  United  States  at 
about  the  time  Swedenborg's  doctrines  (foretold  by  him- 
self) were  in  the  ascendant.  When,  at  the  point  of  death, 
he  was  asked  by  one  of  his  friends  whether  he  persisted  in 
his  belief  and  assertions,  as  contained  in  his  works,  the 
Swedish  philosopher  answered  affirmatively  ;  adding,  that 
nobody  would,  a  hundred  years  hence,  doubt  the  sound- 
ness and  truth  of  his  spiritual  teachings.  It  may  be  that 
Braggart  had  read  this  incident  in  one  of  Swedenborg's 
numerous  biographies;  and,  learning,  one  day,  that  two 
or  three  young  girls,  living  in  a  northern  county  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  fell,  from  time  to  time,  into  magnetic 
trances,  during  which  they  pretended  to  communicate  with 
spirits,  he  believed  the  era  predicted  by  Swedenborg  had 
arrived.  He  went  to  the  village  where  the  young  girls 
lived,  for  the  purpose  of  hearing  their  revelations ;  and, 
satisfied  with  the  experiment,  he  was  on  his  way  back 
to  New- York,  when  he  met  his  former  employee,  Merry- 
man. 

"  The  minister,  proud  to  entertain  such  a  noteworthy 
personage  as  Erastus  Braggart,  took  him  to  his  parsonage, 
where  he  was  not  slow  to  notice  the  fine  figure  and  intel- 
ligent countenance  of  the  minister's  wife.  She  was  no 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  87 

longer  the  homely  country  girl  the  minister  had  married. 
Hymen  had  polished  a  rough  marble  and  fashioned  a 
charming  statue  out  of  it.  Her  auburn  hair  fell  in  massy 
curls  over  her  finely  rounded  shoulders,  her  blue  eyes  were 
brilliant  with  the  soft  light  of  love,  and  a  sort  of  poetical 
halo  seemed  to  surround  her,  by  which  bystanders  were  in- 
voluntarily entranced. 

"  It  may  be  doubted  whether  Merryman  was  conscious 
of  the  great  change  that  matrimony  had  wrought  in  his 
wife,  and  of  her  actual  beauty  and  wit.  But  Braggart  saw, 
at  the  first  glance,  that  she  was  the  very  woman  he  was  in 
search  of,  to  help  him  in  his  forthcoming  revelations  to  the 
world  of  a  new  religious  system.  Under  some  pretense, 
he  lengthened  his  visit  to  Omega,  and  before  taking  his 
departure  for  New- York,  he  had  come  to  a  thorough  under- 
standing with  Mrs.  Merryman  regarding  their  future  opera- 
tions. The  small  town  of  Omega,  it  seems,  had  become 
tiresome  to  her  ;  and  when  Braggart  pointed  out  the  noto- 
riety in  store  for  her,  she  became  willing  to  play  a  conspi- 
cuous part  in  the  spiritual  exhibitions  he  had  in  view — 
that  of  intermediary,  or  medium,  between  the  dead  and 
living.  So,  every  thing  prepared,  one  evening,  she  hastened 
to  New- York,  to  meet  Erastus  ;  and  Merryman,  on  return- 
ing to  his  parsonage,  found  it  deserted. 

"The  minister  learned  of  her  whereabouts  from  that 
very  notoriety  Braggart  had  promised  her. '  Cora  had  com- 
menced a  series  of  lectures,  or  revelations  she  pretended  to 
have  received  from  the  spiritual  world,  and  upon  which  a 
new  religious  system  was  to  be  based.  People  fond  of 
new  sensations  flocked  to  her  lectures  and  applauded  the 
fair  lecturer.  They  were  moved  to  enthusiasm  by  her 
sympathetic  voice  and  facility  of  expressing  startling  theo- 
ries. Cora,  with  an  imperturbable  coolness,  described  per- 


88  Asmodcus  in  New -York. 

sons  who  had  been  dead  many  years,  and  repeated  con- 
versations she  said  she  had  held  with  their  spirits.  Many 
illustrious  men  of  modern,  and  even  of  ancient,  times,  were 
the  objects  of  her  so-called  supernatural  power ;  and  her  in- 
tercourse with  the  invisible  world  continued  several  months, 
until  interrupted  by  the  medium's  mysterious  disappearance. 
Among  the  persons  converted  to  spiritualism,  a  wealthy 
merchant  had  early  shown  himself  as  one  of  the  most  en- 
thusiastic, and  he  finally  prevailed  upon  Cora  to  confer  on 
him  alone,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  public,  the  benefit  of  her 
intercourse  with  the  world  of  spirits. 

"  In  the  mean  while,  D.  D.  Merryman  had  taught  himself 
to  look  philosophically  at  his  conjugal  misfortune.  Cora's 
lectures  in  New- York  had  created  such  a  sensation  that  he 
could  not  think  of  ever  taking  her  back  to  his  parsonage — 
even  admitting  that  she  might  be  willing  to  resume  her  for- 
mer quiet  and  decent  life.  As  her  notoriety  increased, 
owing  to  her  extravagant  style  of  living,  and  the  great  dis- 
play she  made  after  her  acquaintance  with  the  wealthy 
merchant,  the  minister  concluded  that  a  divorce  was  now 
the  only  issue  forced  upon  him  ;  and  so,  after  she  had  been 
absent  over  a  year  from  his  roof,  Merryman  obtained  a  di- 
vorce from  Cora  Cackling.  But,  shortly  after,  he  married 
again. 

"  With  few  exceptions,  ministers  of  the  Gospel  do  not 
remain  in  celibacy.  The  feelings  of  Protestant  communi- 
ties regarding  this  matter  are  altogether  different  from  those 
of  Roman  Catholics.  A  Protestant  minister  must  marry, 
if  he  wishes  to  enjoy  the  full  confidence  of  his  flock  ;  though 
he  can  not  in  that  blessed  condition  obviously  entertain  for  it 
such  inexhaustible  devotedness  as  the  Catholic  priest,  who 
belongs  entirely  to  his  flock.  It  has  been  contended  that 
the  imagination  is  not  as  fervid  with  people  of  the  Protes- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  89 

tant  persuasion  as  with  Catholics  ;  and  also,  that  they  are 
less  kindly  of  heart  and  less  disinterested  in  mind.  If  so, 
Protestant  communities  must  not  expect  from  their  minis- 
ters qualities  with  which  they  are  only  moderately  endowed. 
But,  if  public  opinion  approved  D.  D.  Merryman's  second 
marriage,  it  was  for  him  the  occasion  of  many  unpleasant 
trials — like  those  that  conquered  Peter's  opposition  to  a 
Castilian  Hidalgo.*  Merryman's  second  wife  was  afflicted 
with  that  troublesome  mania,  jealousy,  and  in  its  most  un- 
pleasant form — retrospective  jealousy.  She  forever  fancied 
that  her  husband  still  loved  his  first  wife,  and  more  than  once 
caused  Merryman  to  regret  that  he  had  married  again. 
However,  maternal  duties  soon  absorbed  the  thoughts  of 
the  minister's  wife  and  brought  some  relief  to  her  husband. 
Those  duties  were  almost  constantly  required  for  six  years  ; 
for  after  the  lapse  of  that  time,  the  minister  had  a  family 
of  two  boys  and  two  girls — an  evident  dispensation  of  Hea- 
ven's bounty,  in  the  opinion  of  the  old  ladies  of  Omega. 

"  Large  families,  in  fact,  are  far  from  being  considered 
a  burden  by  country  people.  The  corruption  that  has  in- 
vaded large  cities  is,  as  yet,  unknown  in  most  country- 
places,  and  Malthus's  theories  and  charlatan  practices  do 
not  obtain  among  them.  They  feel  no  uneasiness  in  bring- 
ing up  their  children,  nor  any  anxiety  for  their  prospects. 
They  are  aware  that  when  boys  arrive  at  the  age  of  fifteen, 
they  will  make  money  enough  to  meet  their  own  expenses  ; 
and,  as  regards  the  girls,  if  they  are  pretty  and  modest, 
husbands  will  not  be  wanting.  Consequently,  the  increase 


*  An  allusion  by  Asmodeus  to  the  following  legend :  Peter  declined  to  allow  an 
Hidalgo  to  enter  Paradise.  "  Go  through  purgatory's  probation  first,"  said  he. 
"  I  have  been  twice  married,"  replied  the  disappointed  Castilian.  "  That  is  another 
affair,"  gently  rejoined  Peter  ;  "  a  second  marriage  is  equivalent  to  purgatory's  pro- 
bation. Come  into  Paradise !" 


90  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

of  his  family  gave  no  uneasiness  to  D.  D.  Merryman. 
But  an  occurrence  took  place  about  eight  years  after  his 
second  marriage  which  was  destined  to  work  a  considera- 
ble change  in  his  prospects.  He  was  obliged  to  go,  from 
time  to  time,  to  New-York,  to  confer  with  some  brethren  of 
his  church  ;  and  on  one  of  these  trips  he  met,  on  her  way  to 
the  metropolis,  a  friendless  young  girl  in  search  of  a  situa- 
tion. The  doctor  felt  a  profound  compassion  for  this 
young  lady,  thrown  upon  the  cold  charity  of  the  world. 
He  recommended  her  to  some  friends,  gave  her  money, 
and  returned  to  Omega,  well  satisfied  with  his  day's  work. 

"  In  this  affair,  the  minister  had  been  guided  by  pure 
motives  of  Christian  charity;  but  the  devil  delights,  as 
you  know,  to  turn  aside  the  best  intentions,  and  he  resorts 
especially  to  very  wicked  means  when  he  wants  to  over- 
come a  servant  of  God  and  plunge  him  into  sin.  It  ap- 
pears that  D.  D.  Merryman  visited  this  young  lady,  whom 
he  had  made  his  ward,  several  times.  She  had  become  a 
teacher  in  one  of  our  public  schools.  At  the  time  the 
minister  chanced  to  meet  Angela,  she  was  hardly  twenty 
years  old,  while  Mrs.  Merryman  was  nearly  thirty-five, 
being  of  the  same  age  as  her  husband  ;  and  the  latter 
could  not  help  contrasting  the  beauty  and  loveliness  of 
the  young  teacher  with  the  fading  charms  and  morose  dis- 
position of  his  wife. 

"  No  matter  to  which  persuasion  he  belongs,  in  spite  of 
his  layman's  dress,  the  countenance  always  betrays  the 
Roman  Catholic  priest  or  the  Protestant  minister.  Angela 
was,  therefore,  well  aware,  from  the  beginning  of  her  ac- 
quaintance with  Merryman,  of  his  sacred  character,  and 
she  displayed  all  the  arts  of  female  coquetry  to  lead  her 
protector  astray.  It  may  be  supposed  he  became  a  too 
willing  victim  to  the  snares  laid  by  the  fascinating  Angela ; 


Asmodcus  in  New -York.  91 

for  a  few  months  after  meeting  her,  Merryman,  besides  his 
home  in  Omega,  had  fitted  up  a  temporary  one  in  New- 
York.  f  This  establishment  proved  a  costly  luxury,  and 
Merryman  was  far  from  being  wealthy.  To  complicate 
the  difficulties  of  his  situation,  his  now  frequent  visits  to 
New- York  awoke  in  the  bosom  of  his  legitimate  wife  the 
slumbering  fires  of  jealousy  ;  while  the  old  ladies  of  Omega 
began  to  gossip  among  themselves  of  the  repeated  ab- 
sences of  their  pastor.  Merryman  was  not  slow  to  realize 
the  dangers  of  his  situation — dangers  that  were  every  day 
increasing ;  and  he  was  gradually  led  to  devise  some 
means  to  extricate  himself  from  the  embarrassing  situation 
in  which  he  was  placed.  The  shortest  and  surest  one, 
perhaps,  was  to  leave  Angela  to  her  fate,  and  never  to  see 
her  again.  But  the  minister  had  it  not  in  his  heart  to 
abandon  the  young  teacher  ;  because,  besides  being  pas- 
sionately enamored  of  her,  he  was  fearful  she  might  expose 
him,  in  case  he  should  determine  to  put  an  end  to  all  fur- 
ther intercourse  with  her.  Scandal  is  the  very  thing  the 
Americans,  in  every  station  of  life,  are  most  afraid  of.  As, 
in  general,  they  make  a  parade  of  virtue,  they  inevitably 
lose  public  esteem  when  they  turn  aside  from  its  paths. 
If  traders,  they  no  longer  find  countenance  with  banks  and 
bankers,  and  ruin  befalls  them.  If  ministers  of  the  Gospel, 
the  result  is  the  same  ;  and  Merryman  knew  too  well  that 
his  church  would  be  deserted  and  his  pews  unsalable,  if 
his  intrigue  with  Angela  became  known. 

"  After  duly  considering  every  side  of  the'case,  he  de- 
termined to  elope  with  Angela.  But,  as  he  had  imbibed 
casuistic  principles  from  his  theological  studies,  he  took 
care  to  reconcile  his  duties  as  a  father  with  his  love  for 
the  teacher.  To  that  effect,  he  insured  his  life  for  a  sum 
of  twenty  thousand  dollars,  payable,  in  case  of  his  death, 


92  Asinodeus  in  New -York. 

to  his  wife  and  children  ;  and  to  procure  the  means  he 
needed  to  carry  out  his  plan,  he  sold  two  houses  purchased 
out  of  his  savings.  A  few  months  after  these  transactions, 
the  inhabitants  of  Omega,  as  I  related  in  the  beginning  of 
this  veracious  narrative,  were  startled  to  hear  that  their 
beloved  minister  had  been  drowned." 

Here  Asmodeus  again  gave  way  to  a  fit  of  laughter,  and 
then  resumed  his  narrative. 

"  Think  of  my  amazement  on  meeting,  a  few  minutes 
ago,  that  same  D.  D.  Merryman,  whose  untimely  end  the 
Omega  community  has  long  lamented  !  I  met  him  in  the 
hall  as  I  was  coming  here  to  take  you  out  to  show  you,  ac- 
cording to  my  promise,  how  the  judicial  institutions  of 
the  United  States  are  operated.  I  recognized  him  at  first 
sight,  skillfully  disguised  as  he  was  ;  for,"  added  Asmo- 
deus, in  a  vainglorious  manner,  "  it  is  not  an  easy  matter  to 
deceive  a  little  devil  who  has  seen  much  of  the  world  ! 

"  '  My  dear  doctor,'  said  I,  '  how  glad  I  am  to  see  you, 
and  looking,  too,  as  young  and  handsome  as  ever.' 

" '  Sir,'  he  angrily  replied,  moving  off,  '  you  mistake  me 
for  another.' 

"  '  Oh  !  no  ;  my  name  is  Asmodeus,  as  true  as  yours  is 
Merryman,  who  was,  a  few  years  ago,  the  beloved  pastor 
of  Omega.  If  you  have  forgotten  me,  I  have  not  you,  for 
the  very  reason  that  I  chanced  to  meet  you  on  a  memo- 
rable occasion  of  my  life.  I  had  just  broken  my  leg  for 
the  second  time,  and  a  country  physician  had  so  badly  ad- 
justed it,  that  an  accident  of  no  consequence,  if  properly 
attended  to,  put  my  life  in  jeopardy.  A  few  old  ladies  at 
that  time  called  you  to  my  bedside,  to  reconcile  me  with 
heaven  and  prepare  me  for  that  country  "  from  whose 
bourne  no  traveler  returns."  But  I  got  out  of  the  scrape 
in  spite  of  the  ignorant  country  doctor,  but  with  the  un- 


Asmodcus  in  New -York.  93 

pleasant  result  of  limping  a  little  more  than  before.  You 
now  understand,  my  dear  doctor,  that  a  man  snatched  from 
the  brink  of  the  grave  can  hardly  forget  those  whose  busi- 
ness it  is  to  gently  push  him  into  it.  But,  at  the  time  of 
the  occurrence  I  allude  to,  your  face  was  as  smooth  as 
that  of  an  infant ;  to-day,  you  wear  both  mustache  and 
whiskers.  Again,  your  hair  was  at  that  time  of  a  sandy 
color,  and  now  it  is  as  black  as  ebony.  Please,  tell  me, 
my  dear  Mr.  Merryman,  the  meaning  of  this  wonderful  and 
no  doubt  successful  transformation.' 

" '  I  will  confide  all  to  you,  on  condition  that  you  will 
not  again  call  me  by  my  real  name,'  said  the  minister, 
looking  anxiously  around.  '  There  is  no  use,  I  see,  to 
dissemble  with  you.  Let  us  go  to  some  secluded  place, 
and  I  will  unvail  the  mystery  to  which  you  seem  to  attach 
so  much  importance. 

" '  I  had  resolved,'  he  began,  '  to  leave  my  family  for- 
ever, but,  at  the  same  time,  to  secure  to  them  the  means 
of  subsistence  in  case  the  plan  I  had  matured  should  suc- 
ceed. I  arranged,  in  consequence,  a  fishing-party  with 
two  of  my  children.  We  accordingly  enjoyed  ourselves 
all  day,  boating  and  fishing,  about  two  miles  from  the 
town.  When  night  came  on,  saying  I  would  take  a  swim, 
I  undressed  myself  and  told  the  children  to  quietly  wait 
for  my  return.  After  swimming  about  awhile,  I  dived 
under  the  water  and  swam  toward  the  opposite  bank,  which 
I  reached  in  safety.  Nobody  was  in  the  vicinity,  and  so  I 
landed  unseen.  I  had,  a  few  days  previously,  concealed 
a  few  clothes  in  a  clump  of  bushes  ;  and  after  putting 
them  on,  I  waited  to  mark  what  effect  my  manoeuvre  would 
have  upon  the  children.  I  perceived  from  my  hiding-place, 
they  felt  uneasy  concerning  my  absence,  and  perhaps  also 
about  themselves,  as  it  was  now  growing  dark.  Soon  they 


94  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

commenced  crying  aloud,  and  attracted  the  attention  of 
some  country  people  who  were  passing  by.  The  latter, 
after  learning  the  cause  of  the  little  ones'  trouble,  began 
at  once  to  search  for  me.  Relieved  now  of  all  anxiety 
concerning  the  children,  and  having  nothing  further  to  do 
in  that  vicinity,  I  rapidly  walked  away.  The  night  was 
very  dark,  and  I  would  have  experienced  much  difficulty  in 
traveling  but  for  my  knowledge  of  the  country.  I  walked 
till  the  dawn  of  day,  and  then  took  a  little  rest  in  a  wood 
near  by.  When  I  awoke,  I  cut  off  my  light  hair,  covered 
my  head  with  a  black  wig,  adorned  my  lips  with  a  thick 
mustache,  and  my  face  with  heavy  whiskers  ;  and  when 
I  looked  in  a  pocket-mirror  I  had  with  me,  I  could  hardly 
recognize  myself.  Satisfied  my  identity  could  not  be  easily 
discovered,  I  took  my  course  toward  the  nearest  railway 
station.  I  arrived,  in  a  few  hours'  time,  at  a  small  town 
in  Canada,  where  it  was  agreed,  before  I  left  her,  Angela 
should  meet  me.  I  waited  there  for  her  a  whole  week. 
At  last  she  came,  bringing  with  her  several  newspapers,  in 
which  was  an  account  of  the  sad  accident  that  had  de- 
prived the  Omega  community  of  its  pastor  ;  and  we  in- 
stantly made  preparations  to  sail  for  Europe. 

" '  With  so  restless  a  people  as  the  Americans,  who  are 
so  fond  of  traveling,  we  could  not  think  of  settling  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  States.  I  was  artfully  disguised,  it  is  true — 
so  much  so  that  Angela  hardly  recognized  me  when  we 
met ;  still,  I  thought  somebody  might  have  the  same  per- 
spicacity you  have  just  exhibited — though  several  years 
have  elapsed  since  we  have  met ;  and  therefore,  impelled 
by  a  sense  of  safety,  we  took  passage  on  board  the  first  ves- 
sel that  sailed  for  Europe. 

" '  I  had  provided  myself  with  twenty  thousand  dollars, 
and  expected,  on  arriving  in  England,  to  increase  my  re- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  95 

sources  by  means  of  some  occupation.  But  Angela  would 
not  listen  to  any  project  of  that  sort.  She  wanted  to  see 
the  world  ;  so  I  unwillingly  submitted  to  her  desire,  and 
said  no  more  about  it. 

" '  I  loved  her  more  passionately  than  ever ;  and  be- 
sides, I  soon  perceived  she  had  discovered  a  secret  that 
placed  me  entirely  in  her  power.  The  newspapers  she 
had  brought  me  contained  editorials  respecting  the  con- 
tract of  insurance  I  had  made  for  the  benefit  of  my  family ; 
my  foresight  was  highly  praised,  and  presented  as  a  com- 
mendable example  to  the  public  in  general,  and  ministers 
of  the  Gospel  in  particular.  One  word  from  Angela  would 
arouse  the  company's  suspicions,  provoke  fresh  inquiry 
respecting  my  sudden  departure,  and  finally  deprive  my 
wife  and  children  of  the  fruits  of  my  insurance.  In  conse- 
quence, I  thought  it  advisable  to  blindly  follow  Angela's 
whims  and  fancies,  for  fear  of  exciting  her  resentment. 

" '  To  tell  you  the  truth,  the  two  years  I  spent  with  her 
in  Europe  gave  me  a  foretaste  of  hell's  torments — that  is,  if 
such  a  place  as  hell  exists — a  matter  concerning  which  you 
know,  perhaps,  more  than  myself.  Sometimes  she  wished 
me  to  marry  her,  as  she  could  no  longer  tolerate,  she  said, 
her  degraded  existence.  As  I  had  assumed,  on  leaving 
America,  the  name  of  Samuel  Elope,  she  desired  me  to 
resume  that  of  Merryman.  I  resisted,  of  course,  because 
I  could  not  condescend  to  commit  an  act  of  bigamy,  and 
also  because  it  would  provQ,a  dangerous  experiment  to 
resuscitate  Dr.  Merryman  of  Omega.  Sometimes  she 
found  fault  with  my  beard,  and  objected  to  my  dyeing  it 
and  my  hair — the  safest  way,  undoubtedly,  to  conceal  my 
identity.  She  declared  she  had  fallen  in  love  with  me, 
when  I  used  to  shave  and  had  light  hair ;  that  she  could 
never  have  loved  the  bearded  mulatto  into  which  I  had 


g6  ,  Asmodens  in  New -York. 

transformed  myself.  In  short,  not  a  day,  not  even  an 
hour  passed  that  was  not  marked  by  some  quarrel  insti- 
gated by  this  devilish  woman,  which  inevitably  ended  in 
her  threatening  to  divulge  the  trick  I  had  devised,  as  she 
said,  to  bleed  a  life  insurance  company.  More  than  once, 
I  confess,  I  regretted  having  left  my  home,  in  spite  of 
every -circumstance  that  once  tended  to  make  it  irksome. 

"  I  found  that  only  traveling  would  make  our  association 
endurable,  and  soften  Angela's  bitter  temper.  So  we 
successively  visited  Scotland,  Ireland,  and  England  ;  then 
France,  Spain,  Italy,  and  a  part  of  Germany.  But  our 
traveling  expenses  were  rapidly  exhausting  the  money  I 
had  brought  with  me ;  and  one  day  I  made  the  sad  dis- 
covery that  only  one  thousand  dollars  remained  in  my 
pocket-book. 

" '  Now  is  the  time  to  return  to  America,'  said  Angela. 
'  There,  if  they  do  not  always  make  fortunes,  smart,  ener- 
getic men  easily  find  a  means  of  subsistence.  Besides,  I 
am  disgusted  with  the  Old  World.  All  European  countries, 
when  compared  with  the  United  States,  seem  backward  by 
at  least  a  century.  I  feel  distressed,  and  my  republican 
feelings  are  hurt  by  seeing  everywhere  females  working 
like  cattle,  and  society  divided  into  classes  and  castes,  as 
it  was  in  the  time  of  the  Pharaohs  or  the  days  of  the 
Crusades.  And  what  an  amount  of  misery  these  country 
people  endure,  living  in  thatched  shanties,  with  not  even  a 
window  to  ventilate  them  !  Their  very  costume  is  painful 
to  contemplate — wearing,  as  they  do,  a  loose  frock,  and 
walking  barefooted — except  the  better  classes  among  them, 
who  wear  wooden  shoes.  I  long  to  see  again'the  pretty 
cottages  of  New-England,  and  their  decently-dressed 
women  ;  I  long  to  travel  on  American  railways,  in  those 
spacious  cars  in  which  people  move  and  breathe  freely ; 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  97 

in  short,  I  long  to  return  to  a  country  where  all  men  are 
gentlemen,  all  women  ladies  !" 

"'  While  relieving  herself  of  this  harangue,  Angela  packed 
up  her  things  ;  and  notwithstanding  my  objections,  the  next 
day  she  paid  for  her  passage  on  board  a  German  steamer 
bound  for  America.  I  was  weak  enough  to  follow  her, 
and  we  arrived  here  five  days  ago.  I  have  already  met 
some  former  acquaintances ;  but  though  they  did  not  re- 
cognize me,  I  do  not  feel  secure,  and  think  it  best  to  leave 
this  great  metropolis  at  once.' 

" '  And  Angela,'  I  ventured  to  ask  the  minister ;  '  what 
has  become  of  her  ? ' 

'"When  on  board,'  answered  Merryman,  sighing  and 
visibly  depressed,  '  I  deemed  it  prudent  to  shut  myself  up, 
most  of  .the  time,  in  our  cabin.  Angela,  who  had  no  rea- 
son to  keep  herself  secluded,  was  constantly  promenading 
the  deck  or  singing  in  the  saloons.  It  appears  she  made 
the  acquaintance  of  a  wealthy  Californian,  who  was  also 
on  his  way  to  the  States.  The  day  after  we  arrived,  while 
looking  for  her  through  the  hotel  at  which  we  put  up,  a 
messenger  handed  me  the  following  letter : 

" ' "  MY  DEAR  DOCTOR  :  We  have,  indeed,  had  a  pleasant 
time  together — spending,  in  our  tour  from  one  place  to  an- 
other, about  twenty  thousand  dollars,  which  is  considered 
a  large  sum  on  the  other  side  of  the  water.  Unfortunate- 
ly, by  living  in  such  fine  style,  I  gained  a  taste  for  luxury  ; 
and  as  you  are  no  longer  in  a  situation  to  satisfy  it,  I  have 
accepted  the  gracious  offer  of  a  wealthy  Californian  to  be- 
come his  housekeeper.  The  Morning  Star  is  just  steam- 
ing up  ;  and  when  you  receive  these  few  lines,  I  shall  be  on 
my  way  to  the  Pacific  coast.  So,  farewell,  reverend  sir. 


98  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

Do  not  become  excited ;    and  above  all  things,  do  not 
weep  for  me,  lest  your  grief  find  an  echo  at  Omega. 

"  ANGELA." 

"'Now,'  concluded  Merryman,  after  reading  this  letter, 
'  mindful  in  my  conscience  of  what  I  owe  that  poor,  erring 
girl,  I  myself  intend  to  sail  to-morrow  for  California.  I 
will  endeavor  to  bring  that  stray  lamb  back  to  the  path  of 
virtue.  But,  with  or  without  her,  I  am  determined  to  set- 
tle in  that  wonderful  State,  and  to  forget,  by  hard  -work, 
the  faults,  errors,  and  deceptions  of  a  misspent  life !' " 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

IN    WHICH    ASMODEUS    SKETCHES    THE    JUDICIARY    WORLD 
AND    INSTITUTIONS     OF    NEW-YORK. 

HILE  going  to  Justice's  temple,  as  Asmodeus 
ironically  termed  the  spacious  building  where 
most  of  the  courts  of  justice  in  the  American 
metropolis  hold  their  sittings,  I  did  not  cease 
admiring  the  handsome  edifices  which  line  the  commercial 
thoroughfare  of  the  city.  Many  of  the  warehouses,  where 
all  the  products  of  the  world  find  room,  have  a  very  im- 
posing appearance,  most  of  them  being  built  of  white  mar- 
ble and  in  the  most  tasteful  style.  And  what  bustle  every- 
where— what  activity — what  confusion !  The  city  of  New- 
York  is  built  upon  an  island  called  Manhattan,  whose  area 
does  not  exceed  fourteen  thousand  acres  ;  and  when  it  is 
considered  that  the  capital  of  France  contains  within  its 
present  limits  eighteen  thousand  miles,  there  can  be  no 
wonder  that  the  value  of  real  estate  has,  within  but  a  few 
years,  so  rapidly  increased.  At  the  same  time,  the  shape 
of  the  island  renders  circulation  a  matter  of  great  difficul- 
ty to  the  million  and  a  half  of  individuals  living  within  the 
limits  of  the  city  or  in  neighboring  towns,  the  inhabitants 
of  the  latter  coming  every  morning  to  transact  business  in 
New- York.  Broadway,  the  principal  thoroughfare,  is  often 
beset  with  fearful  dangers — wagons,  drays,  and  carriages  of 


IOO  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

every  description  choking  it  up  for  blocks,  as  well  as  many 
by-streets  and  avenues.  Foot-passengers  have  often  to 
wait  very  long  before  they  can  cross  from  street  to  street — 
unless  they  belong  to  the  fair  sex,  in  which  case  they  are 
soon  escorted  safely  over,  as  polite  policemen  seem  to 
make  it  their  principal  business  to  open  a  way  for  the 
ladies. 

I  noticed  that  very  few  of  what  we  term  old  people  are 
met  with.  Every  body  looks  young ;  old  men  walk  with  an 
elastic  step,  and  seem  to  carry  easily  and  comfortably  the 
burden  of  many  years. 

"  People  here  have  no  time  to  grow  old,"  said  my  com- 
panion, guessing  my  thoughts.  "  Their  business,  the 
bracing  air  they  breathe,  the  general  activity  pervading  all 
things,  make,  men  forget  the  encroachment  of  years,  and 
hence  they  grow  old  unconsciously.  Contrary  to  the 
custom  of  European  merchants,  none  here  thinks  of  retir- 
ing from  business,  even  after  accumulating  wealth.  Men 
of  eighty  years,  and  over,  go  regularly  every  morning  to 
their  office,  and  wonderfully  withstand  the  ravages  of 
time.  Repose  seems  unbearable  in  the  United  States. 
Millionaires  themselves  •  keep  ever  busy,  until  death 
snatches  them  from  their  labors.  To  the  inhabitant  of  the 
New  World  may  be  quite  properly  applied  that  well-known 
sentence  :  '  In  the  grave  only  there  is  rest  for  man.' 

"With  such  a  people,  and  considering  the  favorable 
situation  of  New- York,  with  its  two  rivers,  navigable  for 
the  largest  ships  ;  with  a  harbor  in  which  all  the  navies  of 
the  world  might  safely  ride  at  anchor ;  with  an  admirable 
net-work  of  railways,  it  is  impossible  to  predict  any  limit 
to  the  development  of  that  great  metropolis.  To-day,  it  is 
the  commercial  and  monetary  market  of  North-America. 
Before  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  elapsed,  when  railways 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  101 

shall  connect  the  Pacific  with  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  it  will 
become  the  mercantile  and  'financial  centre  of  the  world. 
Its  population,  with  its  steady  increase,  will  before  the  end 
of  the  present  century  exceed  that  of  London." 

By  this  time,  we  had  arrived  at  the  court-house,  and  we 
entered  one  of  the  rooms  where  a  case  was  in  progress. 
This  room  was  lined  with  green  hangings,  and  an  iron 
railing  separated  the  magistrates  and  lawyers  from  the 
public.  It  looked  like  one  of  the  halls  for  the  adminis- 
tration of  justice  in  Europe.  The  presiding  judge  was 
assisted  by  two  others.  At  his  right,  a  little  further  off, 
twelve  jurymen  were  seated,  and  on  his  left  were  the 
district-attorney  and  the  clerk  of  the  court,  behind  whom 
could  be  seen  many  newspaper  reporters.  Opposite  was 
a  wooden  bar,  behind  which  seats  were  disposed  for  the 
lawyers  ;  and  in  the  middle  of  the  room  stood  a  bench  for 
persons  whose  testimony  was  to  be  received.  There  were 
no  soldiers  present — not  even  a  single  policeman — in  a 
word,  not  the  slightest  sign  of  brutal  force,  or  of  what  is 
termed  "  authority"  in  the  Old  World. 

A  young  girl  was  on  trial  for  the  supposed  murder  of  her 
mistress  ;  and  no  one  but  one  of  the  keepers  of  the  prison 
where  she  was  detained  was  standing  by  her.  Neither  the 
presiding  judge,  his  assistants,  the  state-attorney,  nor  the 
prisoner's  counsel — in  short,  nobody  in  the  room — wore  a 
costume  distinct  from  that  of  the  public.  The  red  or 
black  gown,  worn  by  magistrates  in  Europe ;  the  ponder- 
ous wig  of  English  judges  and  lawyers ;  the  square  cap 
and  white  band  of  French  advocates,  are  unknown  in  the 
United  States  ;  and  it  does  not  appear  that  the  adminis- 
tration of  law  is  less  dignified,  because  of  the  repudiation  of 
the  staid  ideas  of  past  ages. 

According    to   Asmodeus,  the   Americans   are,    as    a 


102  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

general  rule,  a  good-natured  people.  They  are  cool,  not 
over-fond  of  heated  debate,  and  good  breeding  seems  to  be 
quite  common.  Writers  who  have  burlesqued  American 
habits  and  reproached  the  inhabitants  of  the  United  States 
with  gross  improprieties,  have  done  so  either  for  specula- 
tive purposes  or  to  revenge  some  supposed  personal  slight. 

The  trial  was  indeed  conducted  with  perfect  decorum  ; 
and  the  audience,  refraining  from  expressing  either  appro- 
bation or  disapprobation,  exhibited  much  respect  for  law 
and  justice.  I  was  struck  by  another  peculiarity — namely, 
the  slowness  of  the  proceedings.  I  learned  that  the  case 
now  going  on  had  commenced  ten  days  previously,  and 
that  five  days  more  would  be  required  to  bring  it  to  a  con- 
clusion. I  readily  believed  it  on  seeing  the  wranglings 
and  chicanery  resorted  to,  every  moment,  by  the  prison- 
er's counsel  ;  and  I  could  understand,  in  consequence  of 
an  incident  I  will  relate,  how  trials  which  would  terminate 
within  a  day  or  two  in  Europe,  last  a  fortnight  and  even 
more  in  the  United  States. 

According  to  the  state-attorney,  the  young  girl  had  been 
induced  to  kill  her  mistress  in  the  hope  of  marrying  the 
victim's  husband.  The  murder  had  been  committed  in 
broad  daylight,  while  the  lady  was  alone.  On  their  side, 
the  girl's  counsel  contended  that  robbers,  stealing  into 
the  house,  had  been  surprised  by  the  poor  woman,  whom 
they  assassinated  to  get  rid  of  her  resistance  and  testimony. 
Suddenly,  one  of  the  counsel  rose  to  propound  what 
seemed  to  me  a  nonsensical  question — that  of  ascertaining 
at  what  time  the  moon  had  shown  on  the  night  previous  to 
the  day  the  murder  had  been  committed.  The  discussion 
on  this  point  lasted  two  hours.  The  counsel  of  the  ac- 
cused asked  leave  to  produce  an  almanac,  which  demand 
the  state-attorney  strenuously  opposed,  as  being  contrary  to 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  103 

the  law.  After  a  long  rejoinder  from  one  of  the  prisoner's 
defenders,  the  court  ordered  that  the  almanac  be  produced. 
The  triumphant  lawyer  then  drew  from  his  pocket  an 
almanac  published,  it  appears,  by  a  gentleman  belonging 
to  his  own  political  party.  The  state-attorney,  who  be- 
longed to  another  party,  objected  to  the  production  of  the 
almanac,  as  coming  from  a  suspicious  source ;  and  then 
both  delivered  themselves  of  a  wearisome  argument  on  the 
merits  of  their  respective  parties,  the  court-room  all  the 
time  resembling  a  political  arena.  The  fight  over,  the 
presiding  judge  decided  that  only  an  official  almanac 
should  be  produced  —  the  one  published  by  the  Smith- 
sonian Institute  of  Washington.  Nobody  in  the  court- 
room had  this  impartial  document  in  his  possession ;  it 
was  even  surmised  by  some  malicious  persons  that  such  a 
document  never  existed.  To  clear  up  this  point,  an  order 
was  given  to  one  of  the  ushers  to  go  to  some  stationer's 
and  procure  the  Smithsonian  Institute's  Almanac.  In 
consequence  of  this  incident,  the  court  adjourned,  and 
Asmodeus  availed  himself  of  the  adjournment  to  give  me 
some  information  respecting  a  few  '  limbs  of  the  law,'  as 
he  facetiously  called  members  of  the  bar ;  and,  also  of  the 
judicial  institutions  of  the  United  States. 

"  That  stout  gentleman,"  said  he,  "  whose  red  face  and 
whiskers  unmistakably  proclaim  him  to  be  an  English- 
man, arrived,  a  few  years  ago,  from  the  United  Kingdom, 
leaving  behind  him  many  debts  and  a  not  very  enviable 
reputation.  He  was  welcomed  here  by  every  body  as  a 
victim  of  the  aristocratic  institutions  of  Europe.  An  Irish 
widow,  who  had  just  inherited  a  large  fortune  from  her 
husband,  took  a  fancy  to  this  merry  son  of  Albion,  who 
undertook  to  solace  her  widowhood  by  marrying  her. 
Within  two  or  three  years  he  squandered  his  wife's  for- 


IO4  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

tune,  and  then  recovered  his  freedom,  after  a  somewhat 
scandalous  divorce  suit.  This  late  member  of  the  English 
bar  lacks  neither  talent  nor  energy,  and  as  he  is  a  jovial 
man,  is  quite  popular  among  his  friends  of  the  legal  pro- 
fession, and  also  with  people  who  are  bankrupt.  When  he 
pleads  for  a  bankrupt,  he  displays  such  warmth,  such  ear- 
nestness, one  would  think  he  pleads  his  own  cause. 

"That  gentleman  by  his  side,  whose  hair  is  white  as 
snow,  was  long  looked  upon  as  one  of  our  best  speakers. 
He  well  knows  how  to  move  his  hearers  to  tears.  His  pan- 
tomime, especially,  is  singularly  expressive.  Many  years 
ago,  when  yet  a  young  lawyer,  he  was  intrusted  with  the 
defense  of  a  poor  fellow  charged  with  having  murdered  an 
old  miser.  The  latter's  son  was  present  in  the  Court  of 
Oyer  and  Terminer  while  the  trial  was  in  progress.  The 
young  lawyer  depicted  all  the  circumstances  of  the  murder 
with  such  wondrous  skill  that  every  hearer  was  moved  to 
tears  ;  he  ended  by  hurling  the  curse  of  the  accused  on  the 
real  culprit's  head — '  A  wretch,'  said  he,  '  who  has  tried  to 
add  to  one  horrible  crime  another  as  great — that  of  causing 
the  death  of  an  innocent  being.'  On  hearing  the  lawyer's 
curse,  the  miser's  son  threw  himself  at  the  feet  of  the  judge, 
and  confessed  that  he  was  the  real  murderer ! 

"  But  this  remarkable  mimic,  this  powerful  orator,  lacks 
decency  and  honesty.  I  heard  him,  one  day,  on  his  leav- 
ing the  court-room,  only  a  few  minutes  after  obtaining  the 
acquittal  of  a  prisoner,  say  that  he  would  not  venture  to 
employ  him  for  his  cook.  He  is  one  of  those  lawyers  who 
have  introduced  the  practice  of  engaging  in  suits  upon  spec- 
ulation— that  is,  for  a  part  of  what  they  expect  to  recover 
— and  also,  to  buy  up  claims.  An  agreement  with  a  client 
for  a  compensation,  at  a  different  rate  from  what  is  pre- 
scribed in  the  fee-bill,  has  for  its  result  to  lower  the  pro- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  105 

fession  in  public  estimation.  A  very  serious  ease  being 
confided  to  the  care  of  the  lawyer  I  speak  of,  a  few  years 
ago,  he  stipulated  that  his  fee  should  be  one  thousand 
dollars  only  in  case  of  conviction,  and  three  thousand  in 
case  of  acquittal.  He  earned  the  latter  sum. 

"Among  the  four  thousand  lawyers  in  New- York  who 
practice,  or  are  supposed  to  practice,  law,  all  nationalities 
are  represented.  The  number  of  Irish  lawyers,  especially, 
is  very  great.  The  sons  of  the  Emerald  Isle  seem  to  be 
born  with  the  gift  of  eloquence ;  and  what  remarkable  cool- 
ness or  audacity  is  always  exhibited  by  these  countrymen 
of  O'Connell !  One  would  think,  from  their  conversation, 
that  America  belongs  to  their  race.  They  no  sooner  arrive 
here  than  they  aspire  to  public  offices — the  most  important 
even  in  the  gift  of  the  people.  Irishmen  fill  all  branches 
of  the  federal,  state,  and  municipal  government.  I  am 
willing  to  wager,  at  any  time,  that  out  of  twenty  politicians, 
a  dozen  have  emigrated  from  Ireland. 

"If  I  am  not  mistaken,  the  state-attorney  is  an  Irish- 
man. He  came  to  this  country  shortly  after  one  of  those 
political  disturbances  so  frequent  in  Ireland — believing  it 
the  safest  plan  to  place  the  ocean  between  himself  and  the 
queen's  officers.  Like  all  his  countrymen,  he  immediately 
connected  himself  with  a  political  organization,  and  soon 
his  worldly  prospects  improved.  None  knows  better  than 
he  how  to  make,  at  a  political  convention  or  national  com- 
memoration, an  impressive  and  grandiloquent  eulogy  on 
some  great  man  of  the  Union,  living  or  dead — especially 
the  former. 

"  That  lawyer  in  front  of  us  settled  in  New- York  a  few 
years  ago.  He  was  born  in  one  of  the  New-England 
States,  and  his  noble  countenance,  eloquent  eyes,  and 
high  forehead  can  not  fail  to  attract  attention  everywhere. 


Io6  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

He  is  one  of  the  best  debaters  in  New-York,  and  is  all 
the  more  worthy  of  praise  because  he  had  to  struggle  hard 
to  obtain  his  present  exalted  position,  being  born  of  poor 
parents.  In  politics  he  is  a  formidable  antagonist  to  his 
opponents ;  but  his  own  party  can  not  appreciate  his  in- 
domitable pride  and  domineering  propensities.  At  the 
present  time,  he  ranks  among  the  most  indefatigable  law- 
yers in  the  United  States.  Though  his  appearance  might 
lead  one  to  think  otherwise,  he  is  exceedingly  fond  of 
money.  It  is  related  of  him  that,  in  a  cause  in  which  im- 
portant interests  were  at  stake,  (a  physician  being  charged 
with  poisoning  a  friend  who  had  bequeathed  him  his  for- 
tune,) he  displayed  an  exasperation,  an  animosity,  unknown 
before  in  the  States.  He  was  the  attorney  of  the  poisoned 
man's  family ;  and  when  the  physician,  whose  doom  he 
had  sealed  by  his  eloquence,  was  hanged,  he  was  the  most 
conspicuous  individual  among  the  spectators,  as  though 
he  was  not  sure  of  earning  his  fee  until  he  saw  the  poi- 
soner swinging  in  the  air  ! 

"  That  old  gentleman  conversing  with  him  still  retains 
the  fires  of  his  youth,  and  our  actresses  have  no  more  ar- 
dent admirer  than  he.  It  may  be  that  he  acquired  from 
the  footlights  that  taste  for  emphasis  and  theatrical  effect 
which  he  always  displays.  Pleading  one  day  against  a 
man  possessed  of  a  large  fortune,  and  prosecuted  for  an 
indecent  assault  upon  a  young  lady — 'Gentlemen,'  said 
he,  looking  imploringly  at  the  jury,  '  you  are  fathers  ! ' 
It  was  all  he  said  ;  but  the  effect  was  magical.  He  sank 
overcome  upon  his  seat;  and  after  deliberating  a  few 
minutes,  the  jury  returned  a  verdict  of  conviction. 

"As  is  the  case  in  all  countries  where  representative 
governments  exist,  lawyers  abound  in  the  National  Con- 
gress and  State  Legislatures.  Two  thirds  of  the  members 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  107 

of  the  legislative  bodies  are  lawyers,  which  fact  shows  how 
great  their  influence  is  in  the  United  States — though  that 
esprit  de  corps  which  distinguishes  the  legal  profession  in 
Europe  is  but  little  developed  here.  They  have  no  supe- 
riors among  them  ;  the  equality  which  exists  everywhere  is 
to  be  found  also  among  members  of  the  bar.  It  may  be 
even  suspected  that  they  are  more  impatient  of  govern- 
mental control  than  the  rest  of  the  population. 

"  Of  course,  it  is  from  among  the  legal  profession  that 
politicians  mainly  spring ;  and  the  growing  influence  of  law- 
yers is  well  illustrated  by  the  fact  that  they  have  occupied 
the  presidential  chair  since  the  time  of  General  Jackson. 
According  to  the  official  census,  thirty-five  thousand  persons 
belong  to  the  legal  profession  in  the  United  States — a 
number  equal  to  that  of  mantua-makers  and  milliners,  and 
also  to  that  of  ministers  of  all  denominations.  Out  of 
thirty-five  thousand  lawyers,  two  thousand  were  not  born 
in  the  United  States  ;  they  came  here  from  all  parts  of  the 
world,  which  fact  seems  to  demonstrate  that  if  lawyers  ex- 
perience hard  times  in  Europe,  they  enjoy  a  better  and 
easier  life  in  this  land  of  freedom. 

"  In  fact,  in  no  other  country  has  chicanery  more  free 
and  lively  scope :  not  because  the  Americans  are  a  quar- 
relsome people — few  have  more  peaceable  and  tolerant  dis- 
positions ;  but  while  the  national  character  has  nothing  to 
do  with  lawsuits  and  judicial  difficulties,  which  cost  the 
people,  every  year,  on  an  average,  fifty  millions  of  dollars, 
it  is  not  so  as  regards  the  law.  And  here  it  is  necessary 
to  give  a  general  idea  of  the  Federal  Government  and  of 
its  relations  with  the  several  States. 

"  There  is  a  national  or  central  government,  having 
under  its  exclusive  control  all  affairs  of  a  general  character, 
and  principally  treaty  relations  with  foreign  countries. 


io8  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

But  there  is  also  a  separate  and  distinct  government  for 
every  State  of  the  Union,  composed  of  an  executive  power 
and  legislative  bodies,  like  the  national  government. 
These  particular  governments  attend  to  the  internal  affairs 
of  their  respective  States ;  but  they  are  not  permitted  to 
coin  money,  to  make  treaties  with  foreign  nations,  or  to 
regulate  the  general  trade  of  the  land,  which  prerogatives 
devolve  upon  the  federal  power.  But,  aside  from  these 
prerogatives,  the  field,  as  regards  the  internal  administra- 
tion of  the  States  and  the  relations  existing  between  their 
inhabitants,  is  large  enough  to  reap  a  perfect  harvest  of 
fresh  laws  at  every  session  of  the  local  legislatures.  Their 
members,  you  may  be  sure,  legislate  to  their  hearts'  con- 
tent. Every  representative  arrives  at  the  capitol  of  his 
State  with  a  law-project  of  some  kind  in  his  pocket,  as  a 
means  whereby  to  play  the  man  of  importance  ;  and  be- 
sides, as  all  law-makers  receive  a  compensation  for  their 
labor,  they  feel  bound  to  earn  it. 

"  Jt  is  really  impossible  to  calculate,  even  by  approxima- 
tion, the  number  of  laws  passed  by  all  the  States  since  the 
American  Union  first  sprang  into  existence — the  mania  for 
legislation,  for  the  reasons  I  have  stated,  being  cotemporary 
with  the  republic.  To  the  innumerable  laws  in  force  in 
the  States,  we  must  add  those  passed  by  every  Congress 
since  the  days  of  Washington — 'laws  often  conflicting  with 
those  emanating  from  local  legislatures.  Of  course,  the 
latter  are  in  force  in  their  respective  States  only,  and  great 
discrepancies  sometimes  exist  between  the  laws  of  neigh- 
boring States.  For  instance,  divorce  may  be  granted  for 
some  causes  in  the  State  of  New- York,  while  these  causes 
are  deemed  insufficient  in  a  neighboring  State ;  civil  rights 
may  be  acquired  under  certain  conditions  in  some  States, 
but  not  in  others  ;  and  perhaps  a  similar  law  concerning 


Asmodcus  in  New -York.  109 

persons  and  property  does  not  exist  in  two  States  of  the 
Union.  Now,  you  can  comprehend  how  such  a  chaos  as 
this  favors  the  legal  profession,  and  also  why  the  United 
States  are  a  sort  of  Eldorado,  a  golden  land  for  lawyers  ; 
and  thus  it  will  be  for  a  long  time  to  come. 

"  The  fees  that  lawyers  exact  from  the  unfortunates  who 
must  solicit  their  services  are,  in  general,  considerable ; 
as  I  have  said  before,  they  exceed  the  fee-bill  in  almost 
every  case,  owing  to  private  and  previous  agreements. 
Lawyers  in  the  Old  World  are,  proverbially,  a  greedy  set ; 
and  though  it  is  safe  to  be  on  friendly  terms  with  those  of 
the  United  States,  truth  compels  me  to  say  they  are  no 
better,  in  this  respect,  than  European  barristers.  Most 
assuredly,  there  are  lawyers  who,  for  their  talent  as  well  as 
honesty,  are  an  honor  to  their  profession.  But  the  num- 
ber of  such  men  is  small.  As  there  is  no  senior  or  supe- 
rior, no  committee  among  them,  as  in  Europe,  to  whom,  in 
case  of  ill-behavior,  they  must  account,  they  are  too  often 
unrestrained  in  their  dealings  ;  and  I  think  that  foreigners 
are  right  when  they  reproach  the  legal  profession  with  hav- 
ing fallen  to  the  level  of  a  trade.  Some  go  so  far  as  to  try 
to  drum  up  clients  in  the  newspapers,  in  the  same  strain  as 
do  patent-medicine  venders  and  other  charlatans.  I  see  a 
few  around  us  who  make  divorce  cases  a  specialty,  and 
who  daily  advertise  that,  through  their  agency,  absolute 
divorces  may  be  legally  obtained  in  New- York  and  other 
States,  without  publicity,  and  without  charge  until  the  busi- 
ness is  definitively  settled.  In  the  West,  it  appears,  there 
is  published  a  price-current  for  such  proceedings,  the  fees 
varying  according  to  the  difficulty  of  the  case,  the  social 
standing  of  the  parties,  and  the  time  they  have  been  mar- 
ried. Nothing  there  seems  to  be  easier  than  to  break  a 
marriage  contract.  On  reading  his  morning  paper,  a  hus- 


no  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

band  learns  he  is  free  to  marry  again,  and  his  wife  packs 
up  her  things  and  quietly  departs. 

"  With  few  exceptions,  laws  are  not  codified  in  the  States, 
and  the  reports  of  judicial  decisions,  published  in  some 
of  them,  are  insufficient  to  establish  a  common  law; 
even  the  law  of  precedents  would  be  quite  powerless 
in  a  democratic  country,  where  the  caprice  of  the  hour 
rules  every  thing. 

"  In  general,  in  American  courts  of  justice,  when  a  case 
is  new  or  offers  serious  difficulties,  magistrates  have  re- 
course to  the  principles  established  by  English  jurispru- 
dence. But  as  the  judiciary  depends  on  popular  suffrage, 
it  often  happens  that  judges  are  replaced  by  new  favorites 
of  the  people,  at  the  very  moment  they  have  become  well 
posted  in  their  business.  Hence,  there  can  be  no  wonder 
that  judicial  decisions  often  lack  breadth  and  ability,  and 
even  reveal  gross  ignorance  of  the  general  principles  of 
law;  neither  need  one  feel  surprise  at  the  dilatory  and 
languishing  proceedings  in  the  administration  of  justice, 
to  the  detriment  of  the  litigants. 

"  Unity  of  law — that  is,  uniform  laws  for  a  country — is 
possible  only  where  political  centralization  exists.  In  the 
United  States,  the  political  fabric  rests  on  federal  ideas 
and  principles  ;  and  as  it  is  probable  that  the  preservation 
of  free  institutions  and  of  liberty,  as  understood  in  Ameri- 
ca, depends  on  the  prevalence  of  those  ideas  and  princi- 
ples, unity  of  law  is  a  social  blessing  not  to  be  very  soon 
realized  here. 

"The  Americans,  aware  of  the  multiplicity  and  con- 
fusion of  their  laws,  never  transact  any  business  of  im- 
portance without  the  help  of  a  legal  adviser.  In  Europe, 
families  in  good  circumstances  employ  a  physician  with  a 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  in 

fixed  salary ;  here  they  indulge  in  the  indispensable  luxury 
of  a  lawyer,  yearly  salaried. 

"As  regards  the  judicial  system  of  the  United  States,  it 
is  really  a  labyrinth,  where  only  people  well  posted  in  chi- 
canery may  safely  pick  their  way.  Besides  the  Supreme 
Court  of  the  United  States,  composed  of  judges  appointed 
by  the  President,  with  the  approbation  of  the  Senate,  there 
are  Supreme  Courts  and  Courts  of  Appeals  in  every  State  ; 
Courts  of  Common  Pleas,  whose  judgments  may  be  sub- 
mitted to  appeals,  except  in  such  cases  as  provided  by  law  ; 
and,  finally,  District  Courts.  These  organizations  would 
be  simple  enough,  were  the  judicial  circumscriptions  and 
ascriptions  of  the  different  courts  well  defined.  But  this 
is  far  from  being  the  case. 

"  To  speak  only  of  the  State  of  New- York,  the  officers 
of  the  judiciary  are  eight  judges  of  the  Court  of  Appeals 
and  thirty-three  justices  of  the  Supreme  Court.  The  State 
is  divided  into  two  federal  judicial  districts,  in  each  of 
which  is  held  a  district  court.  These  courts  have  nearly 
concurrent  original  jurisdiction  in  all  matters  in  which  the 
United  States  is  a  party,  and  in  offenses  against  the  fede- 
ral laws.  The  Court  of  Appeals  is  composed  of  eight 
judges,  six  of  whom  constitute  a  quorum.  It  has  power 
to  correct  and  reverse  all  proceedings  of  the  Supreme 
Court.  The  Supreme  Court  has  general  jurisdiction  in 
law  and  equity,  and  power  to  review  the  judgments  of 
County  Courts.  The  judges  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  are 
also  independent  in  their  respective  circumscriptions. 
Hence  the  frequent  conflicts,  in  which  all  justice  is  lost 
sight  of,  under  the  ridiculous  squabblings  and  controver- 
sies which  occur.  The  judges  are  all  elected  by  the  peo- 
ple. In  the  County  Courts,  held  by  the  county  judge,  as- 
sisted by  two  justices  of  the  peace,  the  judge  performs  the 


H2  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

duties  of  surrogate,  except  in  counties  having  a  population 
of  over  forty  thousand. 

"  There  is,  in  the  United  States,  no  court  to  which  com- 
mercial litigation  is  exclusively  and  specially  confined — a 
deficiency  somewhat  strange,  and  hardly  conceivable  in  a 
country  so  much  given  up  to  trade.  Upon  the  jury  rest 
a  very  large  proportion  of  the  burdens  of  every  trial ;  that 
is,  jurymen  are  called  upon  to  give  verdicts  not  only  in 
criminal,  but  in  civil  causes.  The  institution  of  the 
jury  is  justly  respected  by  the  Anglo-Saxon  race ;  but  it 
is  surrounded  by  many  inconveniences,  as  are  all  institu- 
tions by  which  nations  endeavor  to  secure  their  freedom. 
Those  inconveniences  are  such  that  many  observers  have 
not  hesitated  to  prefer  the  prompt  method  of  judging 
adopted  byrcountries  ruled  by  despotic  governments.  No- 
where are  trials  by  jury  free  from  criticism,  and  their  de- 
fects are  nowhere  more  apparent  than  in  the  United  States. 
However,  the  institution  of  the  jury  in  civil  causes  (as  re- 
gards criminal  causes,  the  judgment  by  jury  is  considered 
necessary)  could  not  be  abolished  without  giving  birth  to 
even  more  serious  abuses  than  now  obtain.  For  judges, 
being  elected  by  the  popular  vote,  would  be  clothed  with 
a  dangerous  power,  were  they  allowed  to  decide  in  civil 
causes,  and  corruption  would  soon,  openly  and  remorse- 
lessly, invade  the  judiciary.  As  it  is,  these  elections  lead 
to  frequent  abuses ;  the  judges  seldom  forget  they  belong 
to  a  political  party,  and  when  one  of  their  adherents  is 
engaged  in  a  civil  lawsuit,  or  is  criminally  prosecuted,  they 
can  hardly  conceal  their  sympathy ;  and  in  case  of  a  crim- 
inal offense,  if  they  are  obliged  to  apply  a  penalty,  they 
will  reduce  it  to  the  smallest  punishment  possible,  and 
then,  even,  not  without  regret. 

"  If  you  had  been  present  at  the  opening  of  the  present 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  113 

case,  you  might  have  formed  an  idea  of  the  difficulties 
attending  trials  by  jury  in  the  United  States.  The  clerk 
of  the  court  called  successively  three  hundred  names, 
from  which,  to  use  a  law  phrase,  to  impanel  a  jury,  that 
is,  to  single  out  twelve  impartial  and  free  men  to  sit  as 
jurors  in  the  case.  But,  as  every  body  reads  newspapers^ 
it  happened  that  out  of  these  three  hundred  persons  whose 
names  were  called,  only  two  or  three  had  formed  no  opin- 
ion upon  the  case  at  issue  j  the  others  were  excluded  from 
service  for  want  of  an  impartial  disposition  of  mind.  So 
three  hundred  new  names  had  to  be  again  called  to  com- 
plete the  required  number  of  jurymen.  You  can  not  con- 
ceive of  the  reluctance  felt  by  citizens  in  every  station  of 
life,  to  serve  as  jurors.  With  a  people  so  active  as  the 
Americans,  it  is  a  serious  affair  to  be  absent  from  one's 
business  during  several  weeks.  Jurymen  being  drawn  from 
the  list  of  voters,  many  persons  prefer  to  give  up  their 
franchise  privilege  rather  than  be  compelled  to  serve  on  a 
jury.  And  you  may  be  assured  that  many  of  our  mer- 
chants, when  they  are  notified  that  their  names  have  been 
drawn,  and  receive  a  summons  to  attend  court  at  an 
appointed  time,  at  once  repair  to  their  lawyers  and  pro- 
cure their  aid  to  have  them  excluded  from  serving  on  the 
jury.  If  their  lawyers  fail,  they  procure  from  their  physi- 
cians a  certificate  of  incapacity,  which  sometimes  has  the 
desired  effect.  You  now  understand  the  general  causes 
that  make  the  impaneling  of  a  jury  an  herculean  labor. 
It  may,  perhaps,  be  necessary,  some  day,  to  establish  a 
sworn  body  of  salaried  jurymen,  if  the  American  people 
persist  in  having  juries  for  both  civil  and  criminal  cases. 

"  The  difficulty  of  obtaining  a  jury,  added  to  other  dila- 
tory causes  inherent  in  lawsuits,  resembles  the  task  of 
Penelope.  Among  other  causes,  there  is  one  peculiar  to 


H4  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

the  institution  of  the  jury,  which  deserves  a  passing  no- 
tice :  the  law — or  rather  the  custom,  for  the  law  is  silent 
in  this  respect — requires  a  mutual  agreement  of  the  twelve 
jurymen.  There  have  often  been  doubts  whether  the  ad- 
vantages of  this  rule  are  sufficient  to  compensate  for  the 
mischief  which  sometimes  results  from  it.  For  instance} 
an  offender  often  escapes  from  the  law,  because  one  among 
the  twelve  jurors  could  not  be  convinced  or  has  been  bribed. 
It  has  been  several  times  vainly  tried  to  change  the  law, 
or  the  custom,  and  to  provide  that,  in  certain  specified 
cases,  a  verdict  founded  upon  a  certain  majority  should  be 
sufficient.  But  the  proposed  change  has  not  as  yet  found 
favor,  and  the  unanimity  of  the  jury  will  be  wanted  for  a 
long  time  to  come. 

"  There  is,  in  the  United  States,  a  state- attorney,  who, 
in  criminal  cases,  represents  the  people.  But  it  would  be 
a  mistake  to  confound  that  officer  with  the  magistrate  who 
represents  the  government  in  some  countries  of  Europe. 
His  office  is,  principally,  to  conduct  all  lawsuits  in  which 
the  state  is  concerned,  and  to  give  his  advice  and  opinion 
upon  questions  of  law.  As  regards  criminal  cases,  if  we 
except  a  few  circumstances  defined  by  special  laws,  he  is 
deprived  of  the  prosecuting  power.  He  can  not,  of  course, 
order  any  arrests,  and  when  he  prosecutes,  it  is  only  on 
the  complaint  of  certain  parties,  at  their  risk  and  peril, 
and  after  a  grand-jury  has  found  a  bill  of  indictment. 
The  grand-jury,  so  called  because  its  number  is  larger 
than  the  petit-jury,  must  not  be  confounded  with  the  lat- 
ter, to  which  all  that  has  been  previously  said  relates.  It 
tries  no  question  and  finds  no  verdict.  No  one  is  present 
during  its  deliberations  but  the  officer  of  the  state.  That 
officer  brings  before  the  grand-jury  cases  of  supposed 
crimes  or  wrongs,  with  bills  of  indictment,  and  the  evi- 
dence on  the  subject.  If  the  jury  does  not  think  the  evi- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  115 

dence  sufficient,  it  ignores  the  bill,  and  no  indictment  is 
presented.  If  the  evidence  be  deemed  sufficient,  it  ap- 
proves or  finds  the  bill,  and  presents  the  accused  to  the 
court. 

"  The  jurors  are  exclusive  judges  of  the  weight  and  force 
of  the  testimony  offered  to  them.  In  a  country  where  per- 
sonal liberty  is  protected  by  the  prerogatives  of  the  habeas 
corpus,  any  attempt  to  overthrow  that  liberty  would  be 
scarcely  possible.  He  is  so  bound  by  the  law,  that  any 
magistrate  is  sure  to  abide  by  it,  when  he  orders  an  ar- 
rest and  signs  a  warrant  to  that  effect.  Without  speak- 
ing of  legal  penalties,  he  well  knows  his  real  and  personal 
property  is  at  stake,  in  case  of  an  error  or  undue  precipi- 
tation. Almost  any  judge,  whether  of  the  Supreme  Court, 
of  the  Court  of  Appeals,  or  even  of  the  Common  Pleas, 
has  the  right  to  admit  any  prisoner  to  bail ;  and  if  it  hap- 
pens, therefore,  that  bail  has  been  refused  to  any  offender, 
it  may  be  inferred  the  crime  he  has  committed  does  not 
deserve  leniency  in  the  opinion  of  the  magistrates." 

Asmodeus  had  reached  this  point  in  his  observations 
respecting  the  judicial  institutions  in  the  United  States, 
when  the  court  and  jurors  resumed  their  seats.  The  usher 
who  had  been  sent  for  the  Smithsonian  Institute  Almanac 
had  just  returned  with  that  document,  and  deposited  it  tri- 
umphantly on  the  presiding  judge's  desk.  The  magistrate, 
after  looking  over  it  a  few  moments,  announced  that  the 
moon  had  risen  at  nine  o'clock,  twenty-five  minutes,  and 
seven  seconds,  on  the  night  previous  to  the  day  the  mur- 
der had  been  committed.  We  believed  that  question  was 
now  thoroughly  settled  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned, 
and  the  trial  would  smoothly  resume  its  course.  But  we 
were  doomed  to  disappointment ;  for  one  of  the  prisoner's 
counsel,  to  our  dismay,  begged  leave  to  call  as  a  witness 
the  director  of  the  Washington  Observatory,  where,  it  ap- 


n6  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

pears,  notes  are  taken,  every  minute,  of  the  motions  of  the 
stars,  and  where  the  moon's  behavior,  according  to  the 
learned  counsel,  is  the  object  of  special  attention.  This 
request  was  the  signal  for  an  animated  debate  between 
him  and  the  state-attorney,  the  latter  charging  his  oppo- 
nents with  prolonging  the  trial  beyond  all  endurance,  and 
with  an  attempt  to  tire  the  jury,  whose  verdict  they  were 
afraid  of.  To  these  attacks  and  recriminations  the  pris- 
oner's counsel  retaliated  with  a  sharp  rejoinder,  asserting 
that  notices  or  observations  made  by  almanacs  deserved 
no  confidence  •  that  "  lying  like  an  almanac  "  was  a  pop- 
ular saying ;  that  it  was  far  from  being  proved,  because  an 
astronomer  said  the  moon  rose  at  such  and  such  a  time  in 
the  night,  that  the  heavenly  orb  had  obeyed  the  summons  ; 
that  the  sky  might  have  been  cloudy  at  the  time  specified, 
thus  preventing  that  satellite  from  illuminating  our  planet. 
He  concluded  by  stating  as  his  candid  conviction  that  the 
jury  would  run  the  risk  of  shedding  an  innocent  creature's 
blood,  were  it  to  return  a  verdict  without  hearing  the  testi- 
mony of  the  director  of  the  Washington  Observatory.  It 
was  evident  these  last  words  produced  a  deep  impres- 
sion on  the  mind  of  the  jury ;  and  it  was  in  vain  the  state- 
attorney  declared  that  the  moon,  in  reality,  had  nothing  to 
do  with  the  pending  trial,  since  it  was  conceded  by  all  par- 
ties the  murder  had  been  committed  in  broad  daylight. 
Though  the  jurors  could  not  possibly  understand  the  aim 
of  the  counsel  for  the  prisoner,  it  was  apparent  they  were 
anxious  to  hear  the  testimony  of  the  director  of  the  Wash- 
ington Observatory,  a  celebrity  of  the  times.  So  the  pre- 
siding judge,  thinking,  as  he  said,  it  was  always  desirable 
to  throw  as  much  light  as  possible  upon  every  dark  sub- 
ject, decided  that  the  director's  testimony  should  be  re- 
ceived, and  the  crier  adjourning  the  court,  every  one  with- 
drew. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

SHOWS  THE  WAY  THE  BEST  INSTITUTIONS  ARE  SOMETIMES 
VITIATED,  AND  ALSO  WHY  POPULAR  GOVERNMENTS 
ARE  NOT  ALWAYS  THE  CHEAPEST. 

* 

IE  are  near  the  chamber  where  the  Common 
Council  of  the  city  meets,"  said  Asmodeus. 
"  Let  us  enter,  and  devote  a  few  minutes  to 
seeing  in  operation  the  municipal  institutions 
of  a  city  whose  income  exceeds  that  of  many  a  European 
kingdom.  The  '  city  fathers '  are  now  sitting  ;  and  if,  as 
a  philosopher  has  contended,  people  enjoy  the  government 
they  deserve,  you  will  see  that  New-Yorkers  have  no 
grounds  to  be  proud  of  that  they  are  now  enjoying." 

We  entered  a  spacious  room,  nicely  furnished.  Desks 
were  arranged  in  the  form  of  a  hemicycle,  and  upon  them 
were  scattered  books,  newspapers,  pens,  inkstands,  paper, 
and  documents  of  every  sort.  On  the  floor,  near  each 
councilman,  was  a  spittoon.  The  attitudes  of  the  council- 
men  lacked  dignity  and  decency.  Many  had  their  legs 
reposing  upon  the  desks,  with  their  boot-soles  pointing 
toward  the  presiding  officer — the  latter  occupying  a  more 
elevated  seat  than  the  other  members.  Many  placed  in 
their  mouths,  from  time  to  time,  something  which  they  took 
from  a  small,  square,  silver-papered  package,  which  Asmo- 


n8  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

deus  informed  me  contained  tobacco  ;  and  the  black  spittle 
they  frequently  ejected  into  the  spittoons  confirmed  the 
correctness  of  his  statement. 

The  sittings  of  the  councilmen,  I  was  informed,  are  not 
public — newspaper  reporters  only  being  admitted  ;  and  so, 
not  to  attract  attention,  we  mingled  among  them.  But  if 
this  chamber  was  closed  to  the  public,  it  was  not  so  of  an 
opening  or  passage,  leading  to  the  hall  of  civic  legislation, 
and  which  has  received  the  name  of  lobby.  This  was 
crowded  with  anxious  people,  and  almost  every  minute 
some  councilman  would  leave  the  room  to  confer  with 
members  of  the  lobby,  as  if  in  quest  of  important  informa- 
tion. This  going  to  and  fro  at  once  ceased  on  the  trans- 
mission of  a  note  to  the  president ;  and  immediately  a 
discussion  commenced  on  the  privilege  of  granting  some 
gas  company,  recently  formed,  the  right  to  lay  gas-pipes  in 
the  streets  of  the  city.  A  member  said  that,  in  his  opin- 
ion, the  new  company  offered  such  advantages  to  con- 
sumers, by  the  superior  quality  and  cheapness  of  its  gas, 
that  the  privilege  ought  to  be  granted  at  once.  Should 
they  refuse  it,  they  would  no  longer  be  the  watchful  guar. 
dians  of  the  public  interests,  but,  on  the  contrary,  be 
suspected  of  favoring  the  monopoly  of  existing  companies. 
The  speaker  was  not  allowed  to  proceed  further  ;  for  the 
president,  urged  by  the  majority  to  put  the  privilege  to  a 
vote,  closed  the  discussion,  and  the  privilege  was  unani- 
mously voted. 

"  The  most  amusing  part  of  this  comedy,  enacted  in  the 
name  of  the  public  good,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  consists  in 
this  fact :  The  councilmen  declined  to  take  up  the  petition 
of  the  Hygienic  Gas  -Company  until  they  received  some 
perquisites  ;  and  the  note,  which  one  of  them  has  just  sent 
to  the  president,  inclosed  a  certificate  for  a  thousand  shares 


Asmodetis  in  New -York.  119 

of  the  gas  company,  to  be  divided,  of  course,  among  the 
members  of  the  Council,  and  also  a  check  for  twenty 
thousand  dollars.  So,  you  see,  in  case  the  Hygienic  Gas 
Company  does  not  succeed  in  raising  a  working  capital, 
and  consequently  its  shares  not  be  worth  the  paper  they 
are  printed  upon,  the  check  would  be  a  compensation  for 
their  trouble ;  and  at  all  events,  as  their  number  is  twen- 
ty-four, their  vote  will  bring  to  each  of  the  city  fathers  a 
little  over  eight  hundred  dollars." 

When  the  excitement  of  the  vote  was  over,  and  the 
councilmen  had  congratulated  each  other  upon  the  advan- 
tages to  be  derived  by  the  imperial  city  (a  name  its  inhabi- 
tants are  pleased  to  give  New- York)  from  the  future  gas 
company,  the  project  to  sell  a  public  square  came  next  in 
order.  A  speculator,  anxious  to  establish  a  depot,  on  a 
public  square  in  the  populous  portion  of  the  city,  for  a  rail- 
road company,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  heaviest  stock 
holders,  offered  to  purchase  that  square  for  one  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  "  It  is  a  very  large  sum,"  said  one  of 
the  councilmen — "  a  princely  offer  ;  and,  considering  the 
precarious  condition  of  the  city's  treasury,  it  would  be 
folly  to  reject  it."  The  majority  coincided  in  this  opinion, 
and  the  sale  of  the  square  to  the  capitalist  who  wanted  it 
for  his  railroad  was  unanimously  approved. 

"  Here  we  have,"  said  Asmodeus,  when  the  president 
announced  the  result  of  the  vote,  "  a  shameful  desecration 
of  the  city's  most  sacred  interests.  Public  squares  are,  in 
reality,  the  lungs  of  all  densely  populated  districts,  and  we 
have  so  few  in  New- York,  that  the  reduction  of  their  num- 
ber would  be  a  blow  to  public  health.  But  these  council- 
men  do  not  care  much  about  considerations  of  this  nature ; 
they  mean  to  make  a  good  thing  out  of  their  vote,  and  in 
the  following  manner  :  The  owners  of  houses  fronting  the 


I2O  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

square  will  receive,  according  to  the  bill,  ten  thousand 
dollars  each  as  a  compensation  for  the  damage  their  prop- 
erty will  suffer.  The  capitalist's  proposition  has  been  kept 
secret,  in  order  to  give  time  to  the  councilmen  to  purchase, 
through  intermediaries,  all  the  houses  fronting  the  square, 
and  they  will  cash  the  indemnity  to  be  paid  to  their 
owners.  The  result  will  be  that  they  will  become  propri- 
etors of  fine  dwellings  at  a  low  cost ;  and  the  capitalist,  on 
his  side,  will  realize  a  handsome  profit ;  for  the  square  is 
worth  one  million  dollars,  and  as  the  compensation  he  will 
pay  to  actual  owners,  and  his  purchase-price,  will  not  exceed 
five  hundred  thousand  dollars,  his  own  part  of  the  profit  in 
the  operation  will  amount  to  half  a  million." 

Asmodeus  was  here  interrupted  by  the  reading  of  a  re- 
port from  a  committee,  stating  that  the  owners  of  several 
houses  on  one  of  the  most  fashionable  avenues  had  trans- 
gressed the  building-law,  the  spacious  stoops  of  their  man- 
sions encroaching  on  the  public  way,  and  it  concluded  by 
offering  a  plan  for  an  ordinance  to  compel  the  owners  to 
remove  the  obnoxious  stoops. 

"  That  report,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  will  fall  like  a  bomb- 
shell among  the  nabobs  of  New- York.  They  are  proud  of 
those  large  stoops,  which  give  a  princely  appearance  to 
their  residences  ;  and,  to  retain  them,  they  will  make  any 
sacrifice.  The  members  of  the  Council  well  know  this, 
and  the  report  you  have  just  heard  read  is  but  a  means  to 
bleed  the  nabobs.  The  latter  will  raise  money  among 
themselves  ;  and  when  the  councilmen  have  it  in  their 
pockets,  they  will  discover  that  the  so-called  infringement 
on  the  building-law  is  covered  by  limitation,  and  will  care- 
fully frame  another  report  to  demonstrate  that  the  city  has 
lost  all  right  to  demand  the  destruction  of  those  elegant 
stoops." 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  12 1 

In  the  mean  while,  the  walking  to  and  fro  of  the  city 
fathers  and  the  members  of  the  lobby  had  again  com- 
menced. The  lobby-men,  Asmodeus  informed  me,  are,  in 
general,  brokers,  bankers,  and  members  of  the  legislature, 
interested  in  speculations  the  success  of  which  depends  on 
some  privilege  or  authorization  to  be  granted  by  the  city 
councilmen.  We  were  on  the  point  of  retiring,  when  the 
president,  energetically  hammering  on  his  desk,  urged  the 
members  to  silence,  as  they  had  to  deliberate  on  a  pro- 
jected railroad  through  one  of  the  great  thoroughfares  of 
the  city.  He  then  explained,  in  a  somewhat  long  but  lucid 
speech,  that,  owing  to  the  steady  increase  of  the  popula- 
tion, and  also  of  house-rents,  a  number  of  families  were 
compelled  to  remove  to  the  country,  and  consequently 
that  many  business  men  were  obliged  to  lose  much  pre- 
cious time  on  their  way  to  and  from  their  offices.  A  rail- 
road company  had  offered  to  lay  rails  to  the  very  centre 
of  the  city,  so  as  to  connect  it  with  the  surburbs  ;  and  in 
view  of  the  grave  interests  involved,  he  had  believed  it  his 
duty  to  speak  to  the  councilmen  of  this  project  and  submit 
it  to  their  consideration.  "  The  capital  stock  of  this  com- 
pany," he  continued,  "  is  twenty  millions  of  dollars,  in 
shares  of  one  hundred  dollars  each  ;  the  market  price  of 
these  shares  is  actually  twenty-five  dollars.  But  it  can  be 
demonstrated  that  they  will  go  up  to  par  and  probably 
over,  if  the  privilege  now  solicited  is  granted  by  the  city 
council.  In  expectation  of  that  advance  in  the  price  of 
their  stock,  the  directors  of  the  railroad  company  will  place 
at  our  disposal,  and  at  the  actual  price,  ten  thousand 
shares.  All  the' necessary  papers  have  been  intrusted  to 
me.  You  will  not  fail  to  perceive  that  the  railroad  com- 
pany's proposition  presents  such  immediate  advantages  to 
the  public,  that  it  deserves  approbation  ;  and  therefore 


122  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

I  do  not  deem  it  necessary  to  make  any  further  explana- 
tion." 

"  Let  us  vote  !  vote  !  vote  !"  shouted  the  councilmen, 
as  the  president  ended  his  speech. 

They  had  already  made  a  calculation  that  every  one  of 
them  would  have  about  thirty  thousand  dollars  for  his 
share  of  the  operation,  in  case  the  stock  of  the  company 
should  rise,  as  expected  j  and  in  their  hurry  to  vote,  they 
left  their  seats,  and,  standing  by  the  president,  did  not 
cease  shouting  until  he  declared  the  right  to  lay  rails  was 
granted  to  the  railroad  company,  according  to  the  condi- 
tions and  stipulations  annexed  to  the  authorization. 

"The  city  fathers,"  said  Asmodeus,  taking  me  aside, 
"  are  brazen-faced  rogues  ;  their  love  of  gain  is  equal  to 
their  hypocrisy ;  and  I  wonder  how  they  dare  to  cover 
their  intense  greed  with  the  pretense  that  all  they  do  is  for 
the  public  good.  But,  like  professional  robbers,  who  fight 
among  themselves  for  the  spoils,  I  believe,  upon  my  soul, 
our  city  fathers  are  coming  to  blows." 

In  fact,  the  president,  as  far  as  we  could  understand, 
was  endeavoring  to  secure  for  himself  the  lion's  part  in 
the  division  of  the  shares  placed  at  his  disposal,  which, 
now  worth  twenty-five  dollars,  their  actual  market  price, 
would  be,  within  twenty-four  hours,  worth  perhaps  one 
hundred.  A  few  councilmen  sided  vrith  the  president ; 
while  the  others  hurled  at  them  most  insulting  epithets. 
An  indescribable  scene  of  confusion  followed,  and  soon 
they  began  throwing  at  each  other  books  and  inkstands. 
One  of  the  councilmen  was  unfortunately  hit  by  one  of  the 
latter  articles ;  and,  exasperated  at  seeing  the  black  liquid 
spotting  his  shirt  and  clothes,  he  pulled  a  revolver  from 
his  pocket,  declaring  that  he  would  shoot  his  assailant. 
His  example  was  instantly  imitated  by  others  ;  and  withr 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  123 

out  caring  to  know  what  would  be  the  result  of  the  skir- 
mish^ we  hastened  from  the  room. 

"  A  stray  ball,"  said  Asmodeus,  as  he  hurried  me  out 
with  him,  "  might  hit  one  of  us  ;  and  when  an  individual 
is  provided  with  but  one  sound  leg,  as  is  unfortunately  my 
own  case,  he  must  take  care  lest  some  awkward  fellow 
break  it" 

When  we  were  safely  in  the  street,  we  could  not  refrain 
from  laughing  heartily  at  the  strange  wind-up  to  the  coun- 
cilmen's  deliberations. 

After  he  had  resumed  his  wonted  seriousness  —  "All 
this,"  said  Asmodeus,  "is  the  direct  product  of  universal 
suffrage,  as  understood  and  practiced  in  this  first  city  of 
the  Union.  Verily,  if  he  be  not  the  most  stupid,  man  is 
the  most  wicked  animal  of  creation.  He  finds  means  to 
pervert  and  degrade,  after  he  has  put  them  in  operation, 
the  most  rational  theories  and  soundest  principles.  Is 
there,  for  instance,  a  more  rational  and  sound  principle 
than  that  all  power  must  come  from  the  free  consent  of 
the  people  ?  Still,  see  the  result  in  practice  of  that  politi- 
cal truth,  proclaimed  by  the  founders  of  American  inde- 
pendence. Though  New- York  City  is  governed  by  men 
elected  by  popular  suffrage,  there  is  not  a  hamlet  among 
the  Hottentots  which  can  not  boast  of  a  better  government." 

"  What  has  caused  such  a  state  of  things  ?" 

"  It  would  take  too  long  a  time  to  explain  it.  Be  satis- 
fied, for  the  present,  to  know  that  any  person  of  age,  after 
a  year  of  actual  residence  in  the  State  of  New- York,  (and 
it  is  so  in  nearly  all  other  States,)  is  clothed  with  the  right 
to  vote  for  the  officers  of  the  municipal  administration.  In 
large  cities,  the  majority  is  on  the  side  of  the  most  igno- 
rant classes  of  the  people,  and  the  councilmen  are,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  elected  from  its  ranks.  In  New- York  City, 


124  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

men  of  quiet  habits  dislike  the  noise  attending  elections, 
and  the  riotous  manner  in  which  they  are  often  conducted, 
and,  as  they  are  sometimes  conscious  their  vote  would  not 
possibly  influence  the  final  result,  they  do  not  go  to  the 
polls.  Neither  care  they  themselves  to  be  candidates  for 
any  public  office,  because,  though  large  salaries  are  in 
general  attached  to  some  of  them,  the  profits  of  their  busi- 
ness are  still  larger  —  that  is,  unless  public  officers  deter- 
mine to  swell  their  legitimate  salaries  by  peculation.  Again, 
government  officers  in  this  great  metropolis,  when  their 
term  of  office  expires,  do  not  stand  very  high  in  the  esti- 
mation of  their  fellow-citizens  —  a  prospect  hardly  to  be 
coveted  by  any  man  who  can  find,  in  another  sphere  of 
action,  honest  and  remunerative  employment  for  his  activity 
or  talent.  If  you  read  the  morning  papers,  you  will  per- 
ceive that  the  City  Hall  is  designated  as  the  Cave  of  the 
Forty  Thieves,  from  a  tale  bearing  that  title  in  the  Arabian 
Nights  ;  and  you  can  readily  comprehend  how  every  honest 
merchant,  naturally  enough,  shrinks  from  associating  him- 
self with  such  company. 

"  Elections  being  conducted  by  the  people,  and  for  the 
profit  of  demagogues,  neither  talent  nor  honesty  can  be 
reasonably  expected  from  successful  candidates.  Again, 
jealousy — that  vice  of  democratic  societies — is  strikingly 
exhibited,  not  only  at  presidential,  but  also  at  local  elec- 
tions. Democracy  dislikes  (as  if  it  were  afraid  of  it) 
any  social  superiority,  resulting  either  from  capability  or 
wealth. 

"  The  Athenians  proscribed  Aristides ;  and  Calhoun, 
Clay,  Webster,  and  General  Scott  could  never  be  elected 
president  of  the  United  States.  You  comprehend  the 
simile. 

"  According  to  reliable  statements,  there  are  in  New- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  125 

York  forty  thousand  voters,  whose  votes  belong  to  any 
unscrupulous  party  that  has  money  enough  to  purchase 
them.  Those  forty  thousand  voters  are  almost  sure  to  win 
the  day,  and  vote  to  a  man  for  the  candidate  who  pays 
them  for  their  services.  But  to  marshal  -this  large  force, 
leaders  are  necessary.  Those  leaders,  after  providing  for 
themselves,  stipulate,  in  order  to  assist  their  friends,  to 
obtain  the  many  small  offices  in  the  gift  of  elected  candi- 
dates ;  and  the  bleeding  of  the  public  treasury  begins  as 
soon  as  the  fight  is  over.  Some  time  ago,  a  lawsuit  revealed 
to  the  public  the  extent  of  this  evil,  and  the  consequent 
corruption  of  public  morals.  An  officer  of  the  municipal 
government,  as  soon  as  the  term  of  a  certain  mayor  had 
expired,  demanded  the  return  of  the  ten  thousand  dollars 
which  he  had  to  pay  to  the  first  magistrate  of  the  city  to 
obtain  his  situation.  That  mayor,  to  secure  a  majority  of 
voters,  had  spent,  it  was  asserted,  over  one  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars  ;  and  to  again  obtain  that  amount,  he  began 
selling  all  the  offices  in  his  gift ;  he  even  created  new 
ones,  which  he  sold  to  any  corporation  or  person  willing 
to  pay  for  them. 

"  All  elected  functionaries  are  anxious,  of  course,  to  keep 
themselves  in  office ;  and  on  the  eve  of  every  election, 
they  make  up  a  common  fund,  to  which  they  contribute,  as 
do  also  the  clerks  in  their  employ.  In  that  way,  they  are 
enabled  to  meet  the  heavy  expenses  attending  all  elec- 
tions ;  such  as  renting  rooms  for  the  headquarters  of 
their  party ;  fees  for  speakers  at  public  meetings,  and  for 
bribing  voters.  Finally,  from  the  pockets  of  the  people 
comes  all  the  money  thus  lavished  to  corrupt  them  and 
vitiate  elections.  With  such  a  sad  state  of  affairs,  the 
city  expenditures  have  fearfully  grown,  from  year  to  year. 
They  amounted  to  about  five  millions  of  dollars  when 


126  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

there  were  five  hundred  thousand  inhabitants.  The  lat- 
ter do  not,  certainly,  exceed  one  million  to-day ;  while  the 
former  reach  nearly  twenty-five  millions. 

"  One  may  see,  every  hour  in  the  day,  in  the  fashiona- 
ble places  in  New-York,  a  crowd  of  well-dressed,  idle  peo- 
ple, having  no  regular  occupation,  no  known  means  of 
support.  They  are  electioneering  agents,  stump-speakers, 
and  wire-pullers,  who  marshaled  an  army  of  voters  at  the 
last  election  for  the  benefit  of  their  patrons.  The  latter, 
and  the  political  party  to  which  they  belong,  afford  them 
the  means  to  live  in  idleness.  The  privates  have  been 
disbanded ;  but  the  chiefs  are  kept  in  service,  at  half-pay, 
to  be  again  actively  employed  at  the  next  election. 

"  The  legislature  of  the  State  of  New- York,  the  majority 
of  which  is  composed  of  members  returned  by  rural  dis- 
tricts, has  tried,  time  and  again,  to  put  the  administration 
of  the  most  important  -city  of  America  on  a  sound  and 
honest  basis  ;  but  it  has  not  yet  succeeded  in  cleaning  out 
its  Augean  stables.  These  good  intentions,  and  the  bills  to 
effect  reform,  have  proved  fruitless,  either  on  account  of 
objections  from  the  judiciary,  or  the  opposition  of  the  politi- 
cal organizations,  grounded  on  popular  suffrage  itself.  A 
few  years  ago,  the  number  of  councilmen  was  sixty ;  but 
they  were  reduced  to  twenty-four,  in  the  hope  that  the 
reform  would  curtail  the  evils  of  corruption.  The  mode 
of  choosing  heads  of  departments  was  changed,  in  several 
instances,  from  an  election  to  an  appointment  by  the  mayor 
and  aldermen,  with  the  supposition  that  they  would  appoint 
only  men  of  integrity  and  capacity.  Still  further  changes 
were  introduced  into  the  original  charter  of  the  city, 
granted  by  James  II.,  in  1686  ;  amended  by  Queen  Anne 
in  1708;  further  enlarged  by  George  II.,  in  1730;  and 
specially  affirmed,  after  the  Revolution,  by  the  State  le- 
gislators. But  the  safeguards  enacted  against  reckless 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  127 

expense  and  abuse  proved  of  little  avail ;  and  the  city 
fathers,  whether  few  or  many  in  number,  seem  equally 
powerless  to  administer  it  properly.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  appointment  by  the  legislature  of  special  commissions, 
and  the  taking  of  some  departments  from  the  mayor's 
control,  have  created  much  confusion  in  the  working  of  the 
administration  ;  and  corruption,  perhaps,  has  finally  been 
the  gainer  by  the  change. 

"  Corruption  has  thoroughly  wormed  itself  into  the  insti- 
tutions of  the  United  States.  It  may  be  found  everywhere, 
in  the  highest  as  well  as  the  lowest  offices.  In  fact,  all 
public  offices  are  looked  upon  by  many  as  a  means  of 
promptly  enriching  their  possessors ;  and  for  this  reason 
extravagant  sums  of  money  are  spent  to  obtain  them. 
Convictions  and  principles  have  little  to  do  with  party 
strifes :  the  fight  is  for  the  spoils,  as  the  Americans  term 
it ;  and  the  great  interests  of  the  land  are  sacrificed  to 
private  ends. 

"  You  have  seen  how  New- York  councilmen  discharge 
their  duty.  Go  to  the  State  capital,  and  you  will  witness 
the  same  spectacle  ;  you  will  also  see  it  at  Washington, 
the  Federal  capital  of  the  Union.  Most  of  the  laws  are 
enacted  to  promote  private  interest.  Lobbymen,  with  their 
poisonous  influence,  block  up  the  doors  of  local  legislatures 
and  the  halls  of  Congress.  For  fear  even  that  corruption 
may  be  exposed,  there  is  a  law  on  the  statute-book  of  the 
State  of  New- York,  the  leading  State  of  the  Union,  to  the 
effect  that  any  witness  shall  be  sent  to  prison  who  shall 
testify  against  members  of  the  legislature  accused  of 
bribery." 

"  But,  then,  with  institutions  so  distorted  by  corrupting 
influences,  how  can  you  explain  the  continued  progress  of 
the  United  States  ?" 

"  The  problem  is  easily  solved  by  comparing  the  New 


128  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

with  the  Old  World.  The  area  of  the  United  States  is  as 
great  as  that  of  all  Europe,  and  contains  a  population  of 
only  thirty-six  millions  of  inhabitants,  who  have  the  privilege 
of  working  and  turning  to  advantage  the  untold  and  unex- 
plored wealth  of  this  whole  continent.  Suppose  it  to  be  in- 
habited by  three  hundred  millions  of  men,  as  in  Europe,  the 
struggle  for  a  living  would  be  as  great  as  it  is  in  the  Old 
World — even  greater,  in  consequence  of  the  prodigal  habits 
of  all  classes  of  society  here.  Besides,  there  is  here  a  prin- 
ciple which  paralyzes,  to  a  great  extent,  abuses  resulting 
from  the  working  of  political  institutions,  and  which  spreads 
its  beneficent  influence  everywhere  ;  that  principle  is  lib- 
erty, upon  which  the  political  and  social  fabric  of  America 
rests.  Liberty  is  the  very  life  of  the  people  ;  it  is  as  neces- 
sary to  them  as  the  air  they  breathe.  They  are  conscious 
that  the  working  of  republican  institutions  is  often  neither 
regular  nor  satisfactory,  but  they  attach  little  importance 
to  it.  In  Europe,  public  functionaries  form  a  distinct  class, 
a  sort  of  aristocratic  body.  Every  one  of  these  considers 
himself  of  importance,  is  prone  to  exaggerate  the  authority 
with  which  he  is  clothed,  and  is  constantly  disposed  to  make 
others  feel  it.  Here  it  is  just  the  reverse.  The  Federal 
government  and  the  local  administrations  are  nothing — 
the  people  is  every  thing ;  and  office-holders,  whether  in 
high  or  low  positions,  are  only  the  public's  servants. 
Hence,  as  authority  or  power  does  not  generally  reside  in  the 
latter,  they  cautiously  keep  themselves  in  the  background, 
instead  of  assuming  an  overbearing  importance.  They  do 
little  work,  following  the  example  of  the  general  govern- 
ment, which  has  reminded  the  people  more  than  once  that 
the  least  government  possible  is  the  very  essence  and  fun- 
damental principle  of  the  Constitution. 

"  It  follows,  from  all  this,  that,  as  the  Americans  are  un- 
restrained, and  nowhere  and  in  no  way  impeded  in  the 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  129 

pursuit  of  their  well-being  and  happiness,  they  feel  uncon- 
cerned about  abuses  which  in  Europe  would  prove  insuffer- 
able, and  soon  bring  on  the  destruction  of  empires.  They 
are  so  industrious,  their  life  is  so  actively  employed,  they 
pay  little  attention  to  any  thing  that  does  not  particularly 
affect  their  interests.  They  leave  a  clear  field  to  rogues 
and  intriguers  who  trade  in  politics,  because  their  country, 
in  the  mean  while,  in  the  rapid  development  of  its  re- 
sources, engrosses  their  attention  to  the  exclusion  of  every 
thing  else.  As  long  as  this  state  of  things  exists,  they  will 
lose  none  of  their  time  in  helping  to  reform  abuses  which, 
in  their  opinion,  have  very  little  to  do  with  the  general 
prosperity  and  prospect  of  the  country. 

"  You  may  often  hear  not  a  few  assert  that  corruption  is 
a  natural  and  necessary  element  of  democratic  institutions. 
According  to  these  theorists,  these  institutions  would 
perish  should  the  American  people  at  any  time  become  in- 
different to  political  rights.  The  means  to  keep  them  alive 
to  the  importance  of  those  rights  and  to  bring  them  to  the 
polls,  is  to  show  them  that  all  offices,  in  every  branch  of 
the  government,  lead  to  wealth  and  influence.  On  the 
other  hand,  as  popular  suffrage,  in  all  the  States,  is  fre- 
quently resorted  to,  almost  all  office-holders,  when  their 
term  of  service  expires,  make  every  endeavor  to  be  re- 
elected,  and  for  that  purpose  solicit  the  influence  of  their 
friends  and  partisans.  The  same  is  also  done  by  their 
competitors  and  adversaries  ;  and  it  follows  that  political 
excitement  is  permanent  in  the  country.  Now,  this  poli- 
tical excitement  is  the  best  safeguard  of  democratic  insti- 
tutions, and  the  very  life  of  healthy  societies.  Undoubt- 
edly politics,  everywhere  in  the  United  States,  invades 
every  home,  engrosses  every  mind  ;  but  it  powerfully  con- 
tributes to  keep  the  passions  of  the  American  people  and 
their  indomitable  energy  alive. 


130  Asmodeus  in  New -York, 

"  No  good  whatever  is  free  from  evil,  in  this  world. 
But  be  convinced  that  the  abuses  which  do  not  escape  the 
observation  of  foreigners  sink  into  insignificance,  when 
compared  with  the  mighty  results  derived  from  institutions 
which  generate  those  very  abuses.  Look  at  the  American 
people :  among  the  multitude  of  men  passing  in  the  streets, 
you  can  not  distinguish  a  poor  man  from  a  millionaire. 
Every  body  is  well-dressed  ;  and  you  seldom  see  women 
applying  themselves  to  occupations  for  which  nature  has 
not  fitted  them.  Under  the  sway  of  democratic  institu- 
tions, every  body  fully  realizes  his  own  worth  and  dignity  ; 
every  body  here  enjoys  a  freeman's  rights  ;  and  no  class  of 
the  population  is  kept  in  tutelage.  Every  body  treats  his 
neighbor  with  civility  and  kindness,  because  he  expects  a 
like  treatment ;  and  while  he  is  conscious  of  his  importance 
in  society,  of  the  part  he  plays  in  the  working  out  of  his 
country's  destiny,  brighter  becomes  his  mind  and  nobler 
his  heart.  With  such  fruitful  and  mighty  results,  demo- 
cratic institutions  may  be  safely  compared  to  those  resting 
on  opposite  principles. " 

While  Asmodeus  was  explaining,  in  this  lofty  strain,  the 
workings  of  the  institutions  of  the  United  States,  we  had 
arrived  at  a  public  square  situated  in  the  centre  of  the  city. 
It  was  now  night ;  and  I  noticed  many  dwellings  brilliantly 
lighted  in  every  story. 

"  These  are  gambling-houses,"  said  Asmodeus.  "They 
seem  deserted  during  the  day,  for  every  thing  is  quiet 
inside.  Night  is  the  time  for  their  operations,  as  for  some 
birds  of  prey — the  time  to  awake  to  life  again.  Let  us 
enter  one  of  them ;  but  bear  in  mind  that  self-control  is 
necessary  in  the  place  we  are  going  to.  In  the  United 
States,  -as  everywhere  else,  it  is  often  the  part  of  wisdom  to 
keep  one's  eyes  shut,  and  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  every  thing." 


CHAPTER  X. 

IN  WHICH  IT  WILL  BE  SEEN  THAT  GAMBLING,  THOUGH 
PROHIBITED  BY  LAW,  IS  AN  ORDINARY  PASTIME  IN  NEW- 
YORK. 

JSMODEUS  nodded  to  a  servant  standing  in  the 
hall,  and  we  were  allowed  to  enter.  We  went 
through  an  elegantly  furnished  parlor,  in  which 
were  many  frequenters  of  the  house,  either 
conversing  or  reading  newspapers.  We  next  entered 
a  large  room  lighted  by  numerous  gas-jets.  In  the  cen- 
tre of  this  apartment  was  a  long  table,  covered  with  green 
cloth.  This  room  was  crowded  with  persons  busily  en- 
gaged in  gambling.  Different  games  of  chance,  Asmo- 
deus  informed  me,  are  in  vogue  in  the  United  States ;  but 
the  favorite  game  of  European  gamblers,  roulette,  was  not 
tolerated  in  the  establishment  we  were  then  visiting.  In 
almost  all  the  States,  games  of  chance,  for  money,  no 
matter  what  its  amount,  are  prohibited,  and  gambling- 
houses,  being  considered  as  contrary  to  good  morals,  are 
forbidden.  Gambling  for  money  was  not,  therefore, 
ostensibly  carried  on.  The  stakes  consisted  of  counters  or 
checks,  provided  by  the  establishment.  The  gamblers 
settled  their  losses  by  means  of  these  checks  or  counters, 
representing  an  understood  value.  In  this  manner,  it 
appears,  the  letter,  if  not  the  spirit  of  the  law  was  satisfied. 


132  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

In  case  of  a  sudden  descent  from  the  police,  it  was  impos- 
sible to  prove  that  the  persons  engaged  in  the  games  were 
playing  for  money,  as  no  money,  in  fact,  was  apparent. 

"  There  is  no  people,"  said  Asmodeus,  in  the  course  of 
his  explanations,  "  that  exhibits  more  respect  for  the  law 
than  the  Americans  ;  but  none  understands  so  well  how  to 
eschew  it  when  it  interferes  with  its  own  interests." 

My  companion  also  informed  me  that  no  one  can  recover 
money  lost  in  gambling,  because  gambling  itself  is  illegal. 
But  debts  of  that  nature  are  as  secure  as  any  other,  espe- 
cially among  professional  gamblers,  and  they  are  seldom 
repudiated. 

"  All  those  counters  and  checks,"  said  he,  "  are  as 
good  as  gold,  and,  in  this  respect,  no  difficulty  can  arise. 
But  there  are,  in  two  or  three  adjoining  rooms,  games  of 
different  kinds  conducted  in  private  ;  and  the  house,  of 
course,  is  not  responsible  for  the  stakes.  Money  may  be 
lost  on  parole  there  ;  but  the  loser  who  will  not  or  can 
not  make  good  his  promise  generally  finds  himself  in  a 
dangerous  predicament.  For  though  there  be  a  few  men 
here  who  came  attracted  either  by  curiosity  or  because 
they  have  nothing  else  to  do,  the  majority  are  professional 
gamblers,  whose  revolvers  are  always  kept  ready  for  great 
emergencies." 

Besides  the  table  in  the  centre  of  the  room,  there  were 
half  a  dozen  others  in  remote  corners,  and  also  in  adjoin- 
ing rooms,  and  which,  as  Asmodeus  had  observed,  were 
occupied  by  persons  engaged  in  some  favorite  game. 
Around  the  large  table  stood  an  anxious  crowd.  There 
was  evidently  an  exciting  game  in  operation.  Near  the 
centre  of  the  table  was  seated  a  banker  or  dealer,  with  a 
large  quantity  of  checks  at  his  right  hand,  of  the  denomina- 
tion of  five,  ten,  twenty  dollars,  and  upward.  Thirteen 


Asmodeus  in  Nezu-York.  133 

cards,  representing  a  complete  pack,  were  affixed  to  the 
table,  at  convenient  distances  from  each  other,  to  mark 
distinctly  the  bets  placed  on  each.  Those  who  wished  to 
play  placed  the  amount  they  intended  to  stake  on  any  par- 
ticular card  on  the  table.  The  dealer  then  producing  and 
shuffling  a  pack  of  cards,  placed  them  in  a  box,  from  which 
he  caused  them  to  slide  one  by  one.  He  Ipst  when  the 
card  equal  in  points  to  that  on  which  the  stake  was  set 
turned  up  on  his  right  hand ;  but  he  won  when  it  was  on 
the  left.  He  faithfully  and  gravely  fulfilled  his  part,  as 
though  he  were  a  public  notary  or  any  other  officer  of  the 
law.  Every  one  seemed  satisfied  with  his  dealings  and 
decisions  ;  for,  during  our  stay  in  this  "  hell,"  (a  name 
commonly  given  in  America  to  all  gambling-houses,)  no 
exclamation  of  any  sort  was  made  by  the  gamblers. 

I  took  him,  at  first,  for  the  proprietor  of  the  establish- 
ment. "You  are  mistaken,"  said  Asmodeus;  "  the  host 
is  that  stout  man  whose  neck-tie  is  pinned  with  a  large 
diamond,  and  who  is  playing  a  game  of  ecarte  near  yonder 
window  with  a  constant  frequenter  of  his  house.  A  few 
years  ago,  he  was  one  of  the  most  renowned  pugilists  in 
the  United  States.  With  the  profits  derived  from  his  vic- 
tories in  the  manly  art,  he  purchased  a  fine  house,  in  which 
congregated  the  patrons  and  amateurs  of  that  art,  which 
is  more  in  vogue  to-day  in  America  than  in  England. 
Shortly  after,  he  found  himself,  perhaps  unexpectedly,  the 
manager  of  a  faro  bank.  The  game  of  faro  is  now  in 
progress  at  the  green  table.  He  gradually  withdrew  him- 
self from  the  noisy  companions  of  his  younger  years,  and 
soon  had  the  gratification  to  behold  bankers,  brokers, 
merchants,  and  men  belonging  to  the  wealthy  classes  flock 
to  his  establishment.  As  his  business  rapidly  increased, 
he  purchased  this  handsome  house,  situated  in  one  of  the 


134  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

most  fashionable  streets  of  New- York.  It  has  become  a 
favorite  resort  for  many  persons  of  good  standing  in 
society,  and  for  'the  fancy'  of  New-York.  All  transac- 
tions are  above  suspicion,  for  deception  would  be  a  dan- 
gerous experiment.  The  landlord  is  married,  and  very  care- 
ful that  every  thing  is  carried  on  in  an  orderly  manner. 
Women  are  not  admitted  into  the  gaming-rooms,  or  even 
into  the  parlors  of  the  house.  An  elegant  supper  is  served 
up,  every  evening,  to  frequenters  and  visitors." 

At  this  very  moment  a  footman  came  and  announced 
supper.  Most  of  the  gamblers  did  not  heed  the  invitation, 
so  deeply  engrossed  were  they  in  the  game.  A  few  spec- 
tators, Asmodeus  and  myself  among  them,  went  down  into 
the  dining-room,  which  was,  like  all  the  others  in  the  estab- 
lishment, handsomely  furnished.  Several  ornamental  side- 
boards were  loaded  with  luxuries.  Champagne  of  the  best 
brands  was  freely  passed  around ;  and  when  supper  was 
over,  the  landlord  treated  his  guests  to  the  best  Havana 
cigars.  I  expected  we  would  have  to  face  a  pretty  heavy 
bill  for  this  entertainment,  and  was  on  the  point  of  pulling 
out  my  portemonnaie,  when  Asmodeus  whispered  me  to 
do  nothing  of  the  sort.  "  Such  a  proceeding,"  said  he, 
"would  be  resented  as  an  outrage  by  the  proprietor. 
Every  body,  whether  known  to  him  or  not,  may  come  here, 
and  either  take  part  in  or  look  at  the  game,  as  often  as 
may  suit  his  fancy,  and  enjoy  a  good  supper  besides.  The 
proprietor  hardly  notices  those  visitors  who  come  solely  for 
the  purpose  of  partaking  of  the  good  things  served  up  at 
his  suppers,  and  drinking  his  champagne." 

"  But  such  entertainments  are  expensive,"  said  I,  "  and 
I  doubt  whether  the  gambling-houses  of  Europe  would  be 
profitable  enterprises  were  they  to  treat  visitors  as  is  done 
here." 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  135 

"  Have  you  not  remarked  that  the  dealer,  at  the  gaming- 
table, takes  away  beforehand  a  percentage  from  the 
stakes  ?  Admitting  the  percentage  to  be  five  per  cent 
only,  this  seems  of  little  importance  to  the  gamblers  ;  but 
repeated  through  the  whole  night,  it  sometimes  amounts  to 
five  hundred  dollars.  Why,  the  proprietor  of  this  estab- 
lishment, within  a  few  years,  has  become  a  millionaire." 

"  I  had  inferred,  from  your  explanation,  that  gambling- 
houses  were  forbidden  in  New- York." 

"And  so  they  are,"  returned  Asmodeus.  "  But  police 
officers,  throughout  the  States,  are  singularly  accommoda- 
ting, and  never  deal  harshly  with  millionaires.  This  one, 
for  instance,  has  among  his  friends  many  persons  of  influ- 
ence. His  house  is  frequented  by  bankers,  lawyers, 
magistrates,  legislators — occasionally,  I  am  told,  by  minis- 
ters of  the  Gospel  from  neighboring  localities.  Think  of 
the  scandal  a  descent  of  the  police  would  produce  !  For 
this  reason  police  officers  never  disturb  the  habitues  of 
houses  like  this." 

We  ascended  again  to  the  gambling-room,  and  were 
looking,  with  that  fascination  they  exert  upon  even  cool- 
headed  persons,  at  the  games  of  chance  going  on,  when, 
all  at  once,  the  excitement  became  intense.  A  new-comer 
had  seated  himself  at  the  principal  gaming-table,  and  his 
high  stakes  and  good  fortune  struck  every  body  with 
astonishment.  After  a  while  the  dealer,  in  a  low  tone, 
held  a  short  conversation  with  the  proprietor,  who  pulled 
out  his  pocket-book  and  gave  him  a  bundle  of  bank-bills. 
Then  the  game  went  briskly  on,  as  before. 

"  That  young  man  whose  large  stakes  have  caused  this 
sensation,"  said  Asmodeus,  drawing  me  aside,  "  and  who 
has  already  won  fifty  thousand  dollars,  which  the  propri- 
etor of  the  house  has  paid  with  such  remarkable  coolness, 


136  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

is  a  petroleum  prince.  Instead  of  pocketing  his  gain  and 
leaving  this  place,  he  will  play  until  fortune  turns  against 
him.  Before  daylight,  he  will  have  lost  his  actual  profits 
and  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  besides.  Let  me  tell 
you  that  young  man's  history. 

"  An  Irishman,  thirty  years  ago,  arrived  in  Philadelphia. 
He  was  a  mason  by  trade,  industrious  and  sober,  which  is 
not  often  the  case  with  natives  of  the  Emerald  Isle.  He 
managed  to  save  a  few  hundred  dollars,  and  then  married. 

"  He  had  enjoyed  the  blessings  of  matrimony  over  ten 
years,  when,  on  going  to  his  work,  early  one  morning,  he 
found,  a  short  distance  from  his  house,  a  basket  covered 
with  a  linen  cloth.  He  carried  it  home,  opened  it,  and  a 
handsome  baby  appeared  before  his  view.  To  the  child's 
clothes  was  pinned  a  paper  bearing  a  few  lines,  asking,  in 
the  name  of  the  Almighty,  the  person  into  whose  hands 
the  basket  might  fall,  to  take  charge  of  the  new-born  in- 
fant, for  the  sake  of  a  poor  fellow-creature.  The  Irishman 
and  his  wife,  not  havKig  any  children,  at  once  adopted  the 
little  one,  regarding  it  as  a  gift  sent  by  Providence.  A  few 
years  later,  the  Irishman,  who  had  by  his  savings  amassed 
quite  a  handsome  sum  of  money,  purchased  a  small  farm 
in  a  thinly-settled  county  of  Pennsylvania,  and  there  lived 
quietly  and  contentedly,  until,  one  day,  in  cutting  down  a 
tree,  it  fell  upon  him,  and  he  was  crushed  to  death  beneath 
its  weight.  After  this  sad  occurrence,  his  widow,  with  the 
help  of  the  adopted  child,  carried  on  the  business  of  the 
farm,  often  regretting  she  could  not  give  the  boy  an  edu- 
cation ;  but  they  were  so  far  from  any  school,  she  could 
not  think  of  sending  her  son  such  a  distance  from  home. 
.  "  One  day  a  rumor  circulated  throughout  Pennsylvania 
that,  by  boring  into  the  earth  to  a  moderate  depth,  in 
some  parts  of  the  State,  oil  was  found  to  spring  forth. 


Asmodeiis  in  New -York.  137 

Startling  as  this  rumor  was,  many  persons  were  forced  to 
believe  it,  when  they  saw,  with  their  own  eyes,  a  black 
liquid,  giving  a  bright  light,  issuing  from  certain  holes 
bored  for  experiment.  After  this,  all  persons  began  ex- 
perimenting on  their  own  property.  The  Irish  widow  im- 
itated her  neighbors,  and  with  the  help  of  her  adopted 
son,  bored  a  hole  in  her  garden.  After  a  few  days'  work, 
they  struck  oil — a  flowing  well  rewarded  their  enterprise  ! 
"  Meanwhile  speculators,  wild  with  the  excitement  of 
this  discovery,  besieged  Pennsylvania,  and  that  State  soon 
swarmed  with  them.  The  desire  to  possess  a  portion  of 
those  marvelous  lands  took  possession  of  every  mind. 
Throughout  the  States  every  one  was  affected  with  the  new 
disease,  denominated  '  oil  on  the  brain ; '  and  soon  the 
value  of  the  oleaginous  districts  went  up  to  wonderful  fig- 
ures. In  many  instances,  as  much  as  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars were  paid  for  an  acre  of  land.  And,  availing  herself 
of  the  general  infatuation,  the  Irish  widow  sold  her  farm, 
for  two  millions  of  dollars,  to  a  Boston  company,  which 
thought  it  was  very  cheap  to  give  not  quite  seven  thousand 
dollars  per  acre  for  petroleum  land.  The  three  hundred 
acres  of  the  widow's  farm  had  cost  three  hundred  dollars 
a  few  years  before,  that  is  to  say,  one  dollar  an  acre  !  Be- 
sides the  two  millions  of  dollars,  the  Irish  widow  had  stip- 
ulated that  one  half  of  the  flowing  well  in  her  garden  should 
belong  to  her.  That  well  yielded  from  five  to  six  hundred 
barrels  of  oil  per  day.  You  may  be  sure  the  old  lady  doted 
on  it.  She  visited  it  a  hundred  times  a  day,  always  sur- 
veying it  with  amazement,  and  ascertaining  whether  it  was 
as  productive  as  ever.  Even  at  night  she  left  her  bed  to 
go  and  view  the  marvelous  spring.  During  one  of  these 
nocturnal  excursions,  she  imprudently  drew  too  near  the 
well  with  a  light — the  spring  fired  up  with  lightning- like 


138  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

rapidity,  and  the  poor  woman,  becoming  wrapped  in  the 
flames,  was  burned  to  death.  The  coroner  was  summoned 
to  hold  an  inquest.  When  it  was  over,  the  widow's  neigh- 
bors, desiring  to  ascertain  whether  she  had  sold  her  farm 
for  as  large  an  amount  as  was  rumored,  prevailed  upon  the 
coroner  to  open  her  safe.  It  contained  two  hundred  thou- 
sand dollars  in  gold,  which,  no  doubt,  represented  the  wid- 
ow's profits  for  her  reserved  rights  in  the  well ;  and  also 
bonds  of  the  United  States  to  the  amount  of  two  millions 
of  dollars,  the  said  bonds  registered  in  the  name  of  Peter 
Crazy,  the  widow's  adopted  son,  and  only  heir  and  legatee, 
according  to  her  will,  that  was  also  found  in  the  strong-box. 

"  Now,  the  young  man,  whose  large  stakes  a  few  min- 
utes ago  caused  such  a  sensation,  is  the  same  Peter  Crazy, 
the  widow's  adopted  son  ;  and  he  came  here  to-night  to 
complete  his  ruin.  But  I  must  now  relate  what  became 
of  Jiim  after  becoming  possessed  of  a  princely  fortune. 

"  At  the  time  he  came  into  possession  of  this  fortune, 
Crazy  did  not  know  the  difference  between  one  thousand 
and  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  He  could  hardly  write 
his  name ;  and,  unfortunately,  he  had  nobody  to  warn  him 
against  the  dangers  that  beset  the  youth  of  this  world,  and 
to  make  of  him,  instead  of  a  spendthrift,  a  man  useful  to 
society. 

"  Suppose  a  philanthropist,  a  good-hearted,  high-minded 
man,  should  suddenly  come  into  possession  of  two  mil- 
lions of  dollars,  what  a  benefactor  he  might  prove  to  his 
fellow-creatures  !  What  useful  and  benevolent  institutions 
he  might  found  !  What  improvement  might  every  branch 
of  human  labor  receive  if  he  chose  to  apply  to  it  a  portion 
of  his  wealth ! 

"  As  soon  as  it  became  known  that  Crazy  had  inherited  a 
large  fortune,  many  adventurers,  with  whom  the  new  Eldo- 


Asmodcus  in  New -York.  139 

rado  swarmed,  pounced  upon  him  like  birds  of  prey  upon 
a  carcass ;  and  then  commenced  for  Crazy  a  life  of  prodi- 
gality and  vice,  the  end  of  which  is  near  at  hand. 

"  In  Philadelphia,  he  stopped  with  his  cronies  at  one  of 
the  most  elegant  and  spacious  hotels  of  the  city,  stipulating 
for  the  exclusive  use  of  it  during  their  stay.  He  bought 
fine  horses,  carriages  of  the  most  approved  pattern,  and 
furnished  a  maison  de  j'oie,  where  he  reveled  every  night. 
Many  Philadelphians  will  long  remember  his  daily  freaks 
of  extravagance.  I  will  relate  one  as  a  sample  of  the 
others.  One  day,  as  a  regiment  stopped  in  the  city  on  its 
way  to  the  West,  he  presented  it  with  one  thousand  bas- 
kets of  champagne — one  basket  to  each  man — a  piece  of 
liberality  that  cost  him  twenty-five  thousand  dollars.  After 
spending  half  a  million  dollars  in  the  Quaker  City,  he  came 
to  New-York  in  search  of  new  excitements. 

"  Here  he  met  with  persons  who  aroused  a  new  feeling 
in  his  mind — that  of  pride.  Those  capitalists  and  specu- 
lators who  drive  their  fancy  teams  in  Central  Park,  who 
keep  race-horses,  who  do  their  best  to  resuscitate  the  fine 
old  times  of  France  under  the  Regency,  were  not,  he  was 
told,  as  wealthy  as  himself.  He  was  bound  to  live  in  style, 
lest  he  should  be  taken  for  a  shoddy  contractor,  who  does 
not  know  how  to  spend  his  money.  Crazy,  therefore,  imi- 
tated the  leaders  of  fashion — but  in  the  same  way  Euro- 
pean wood-cutters  are  imitated  by  Australasian  savages, 
who,  when  they  cut  down  a  tree,  wait  for  its  fall  until  they 
are  crushed  by  its  weight.  He  kept  as  many  as  forty 
horses  ;  bet  heavily  at  the  races,  and  lost  every  time ;  and 
hired  a  theatrical  troupe,  whom  he  provided  with  costly  cos- 
tumes, and  who  played  only  for  himself  and  a  few  friends. 
One  night,  he  was  so  delighted  with  the  saltatory  skill  and 
pirouettes  of  the  dancing-girls  of  his  troupe,  that  he  pre- 


140  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

sented  each  of  them,  with  a  gracefulness  of  manner  that 
Buckingham  himself  would  have  envied,  pearls  and  dia- 
monds worth  over  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  In 
short,  for  a  year,  he  indulged  in  all  conceivable  dissipa- 
tions. But  Providence  has  in  store  for  him  one  of  those 
visitations  that,  from  time  to  time,  startle  and  instruct  the 
world. 

"  Crazy  believes  his  main  income  can  never  be  im- 
paired. Besides  the  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  he  has 
in  his  pocket — the  last  of  the  money  found  in  the  Irish 
widow's  strong-box — he  fancies  he  possesses  inexhaustible 
means  in  the  oil-well.  On  returning,  he  will  learn  that  that 
source  of  wealth  is  dried  up,  and  his  only  fortune  consists 
of  the  fifty-two  coats  he  has  purchased  inside  of  the  past 
month." 

"  What  will  then  become  of  that  foolish  fellow  ?''  said  I 
to  Asmodeus. 

"  Most  actors,  as  you  know,  are  warm-hearted.  Those 
of  them  who  have  fattened  on  his  extravagances  the 
past  year  will  feel  concerned  on  learning  of  the  petroleum 
prince's  misfortune,  and  beg  their  manager  to  do  some- 
thing for  him.  The  manager,  who  is  also  a  good-hearted 
man,  will  hire  Crazy  to  sweep  his  theatre." 

I  looked  closely  at  the  young  man  whose  golden  dreams 
would  soon  be  ended.  Fortune  was  now  turning  against 
him  ;  for  the  bank-bills  he  had  received  from  the  dealer 
were  fast  returning  to  the  proprietor  of  the  house.  The 
petroleum  prince,  from  his  past  life,  had  derived  a  remark- 
able coolness  ;  he  bore  his  reverses  with  an  Indian  forti- 
tude ;  and  when  he  left  his  seat,  after  losing  his  last  dollar, 
he  made  a  polite  bow  to  the  proprietor,  whom  he  gracefully 
thanked  for  the  pleasant  night  he  had  enjoyed  as  his 
guest. 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  141 

"  It  is  now  over  one  year,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  since  the 
proprietor  set  his  mind  to  gain  that  prize.  He  has  pa- 
tiently waited,  following  with  never-tiring  care  every  step 
of  that  young  man  in  his  rash  career,  and  taking  the  best 
measures  to  get  the  last  fruits  of  the  tree,  before  the  light- 
ning had  stricken  it  to  the  dust." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Asmodeus  ?"  said  I. 

"  Simply  this  :  those  who  keep  gambling-houses  take 
care  to  be  regularly  informed  of  every  thing  transpiring  in 
the  city  that  may  be  of  interest  to  their  business.  You 
may  have  noticed,  lounging  around  the  most  fashionable 
hotels,  many  well-dressed  young  men,  who  spend  money 
freely,  though  they  have  no  known  means  of  support. 
They  are  agents  for  gambling-houses  ;  their  business  is  to 
track  the  footsteps  of  travelers  visiting  New- York,  for  busi- 
ness or  pleasure.  They  worm  themselves  into  the  confi- 
dence of  strangers  ;  show  them  every  thing  worth  seeing 
in  the  city ;  and  finally  introduce  them  to  their  employ- 
ers, the  gambling-house  proprietors.  This  hunting  after 
wealthy  strangers  is  systematically  carried  on  —  it  is  a 
science.  These  agents  leave  nothing  to  chance ;  they  never 
hurry  up  the  conclusion  of  the  transaction.  When  the  un- 
wary stranger  is  in  a  fit  condition  for  the  sacrifice,  they 
take  him  to  the  gaming-table  with  as  much  indifference 
and  coolness  as  butchers  drive  sheep  to  the  slaughter- 
house. These  agents  have  a  commission  on  the  profits 
realized  from  all  customers  they  lead  to  the  gaming-table, 
and  they  display  such  ability  they  seldom  fail  to  entrap 
those  they  single  out  for  their  victims. 

"  Crazy  had  been  put  on  his  guard  concerning  these 
dangerous  men  ;  but  he  was  powerless  to-night  against 
their  enticement.  Allured  with  the  hope  of  again  building 
up  his  fortune,  he  has  just  lost  all  that  remained  of  it. 


142  Asmodcus  in  New -York. 

"There  are  in  New- York  one  hundred  "and  fifty  hells  or 
gambling-houses,  all  well  known  to  the  police,  in  which 
several  millions  of  dollars  are  lost  every  year,  by  unwary 
persons.  From  time  to  time,  police  officers  make  a  de- 
scent on  the  most  dangerous  among  them,  or  (which  is  too 
often  the  case)  on  those  whose  owners  have  little  political 
influence.  Twenty-four  hours  after  the  descent  has  taken 
place,  new  gambling  implements  are  procured  in  lieu  of 
those  taken  away,  and  business  is  resumed  as  before. 

"  Games  of  chance  are  now  in  vogue  all  over  Ae 
States,  and  rapidly  multiplying,  because  the  thirst  for  sud- 
den fortunes  is  everywhere  on  the  increase.  Gambling  is 
even  practiced  on  board  of  those  splendid  steamers  that 
ply  up  and  down  the  rivers  of  the  country ;  and  more 
than  one  passenger,  driven  distracted  by  his  losses  at  the 
gaming-table,  has  thrown  himself  overboard. 

"  As  I  have  before  remarked,  no  cheating  is  to  be  ap- 
prehended here,  as  the  percentage  taken  beforehand  out 
of  the  stakes  secures  handsome  profits  to  the  proprietor  of 
the  house.  But  fraud  is  frequently  resorted  to  in  many 
hells  ;  and  in  some  of  them,  whether  he  loses  or  wins,  the 
visitor  is  sure  to  be  plundered  of  his  valuables  before  he  is 
allowed  to  depart.  Blood  is  often  shed  in  these  places, 
their  frequenters  providing  themselves,  against  emergen- 
cy, with  weapons  of  every  description.  Some  gambling- 
houses  hire  handsome  females,  and  the  allurements  of 
these  sirens  are  added  to  the  dangers  of  the  gaming-table. 
New- York  keeps  pace,  in  all  these  respects,  with  the  large 
cities  of  Europe  ;  and  in  many  tnaisons  dejoie,  unsuspect- 
ing persons  run  the  risk,  at  any  moment  of  the  day  or 
night,  of  losing  their  fortunes,  their  health,  and  their 
honor. 

"  The  persons  who  frequent  gambling-houses  may  be 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  143 

divided  into  two  classes  :  occasional  gamblers  and  profes- 
sional gamblers.  Among  the  first  may  be  placed  those  at- 
tracted by  curiosity,  and  those  strangers  I  have  alluded  to 
who  are  brought  in  by  salaried  intermediaries.  The  second 
is  composed  of  men  who  gamble  to  retrieve  their  losses,  or 
those  who  try  to  deceive  and  lull  their  grief  through  the 
exciting  diversions  that  pervade  these  places. 

"  I  see,  for  instance,  to  the  right  of  the  dealer,  a  tall 
man  with  a  well-trimmed  beard  ;  he  is  a  General  in  the 
United  States  army,  and  married  a  young  girl  belonging 
to  one  of  our  best  families.  A  few  years  after  his  marriage, 
his  wife  disappeared.  As  she  seemed  much  attached  to 
her  husband  and  a  model  of  chastity,  the  general  belief 
was  she  had  been  the  victim  of  some  foul  outrage.  The 
friends  of  her  family  and  the  police  made  active  but  fruit- 
less search  for  her ;  and  the  lady's  disappearance  remained 
enveloped  in  mystery,  until  she  was  recognized  by  an  Ame- 
rican traveler,  an  acquaintance,  in  an  Italian  city.  It  ap- 
pears she  had  removed  there,  after  her  mysterious  disap- 
pearance from  her  native  land,  and  lived  quite  comfortably 
with  a  comrade-in-arms  of  her  husband.  The  general  has 
been  unable,  up  to  this  day,  to  forget  his  unfaithful  wife ; 
and  he  comes  here,  every  night,  to  endeavor,  by  gambling, 
to  divert  his  mind  from  grief. 

"  Near  him,  that  man  whose  ringers  are  loaded  with 
showy  rings,  and  who  affects  womanish  manners,  is  the 
owner  of  a  newspaper  which  delights  in  praising  the  aristo- 
cratic institutions  of  the  Old  World — a  harmless  pastime 
in  which  any  one  can  safely  indulge,  in  a  country  where 
there  is  no  law  against  the  press,  and  where  every  body 
may  relieve  his  mind  of  any  foolish  idea  or  fancy,  without 
injury  to  any  thing  but  his  reputation.  Gambling  is  more 
than  a  passion  to  that  personage  :  it  is  his  very  life — as 


144  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

necessary  to  him  as  the  air  he  breathes.  He  has  organized 
lotteries  throughout  the  States,  and  though  they  are  prohi- 
bited by  severe  laws,  he  has  found  the  means  to  evade  them 
all  and  build  up  a  large  fortune.  He  often  plays  very 
high,  and  recently  nearly  broke  the  bank.  The  latter  met 
with  a  loss  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

"  The  gambler  who  is  now  leaving  the  gaming-table  is  a 
teller  in  one  of  our  city  banks.  He  long  enjoyed  the  con- 
fidence of  the  directors ;  but  a  few  days  ago,  they  decided 
to  have  him  watched,  after  office  hours — a  measure  now 
resorted  to  by  many  financial  institutions,  on  account  of 
frequent  defalcations.  To-morrow  morning,  that  teller 
will  be  requested  by  the  board  of  directors  to  show  his 
books  and  give  an  account  of  the  situation  and  prospects 
of  the  bank.  But,  in  spite  of  his  proficiency  in  book-keep- 
ing, he  will  be  unable  to  figure  up  and  represent  the  seven- 
ty-five thousand  dollars  he  has  squandered  away  in  gam- 
bling-houses since  he  commenced,  six  months  ago,  to  fre- 
quent them. 

"  I  also  recognize  at  the  table  a  lawyer  who,  a  few  years 
ago,  married  a  courtesan,  in  whom  covetousness  for  wealth 
had  become,  during  the  last  years  of  her  life,  a  ruling  pas- 
sion. A  few  weeks  after  their  marriage,  the  courtesan 
died,  bequeathing  the  lawyer  all  her  fortune.  It  was  sur- 
mised, at  the  time,  she  had  been  poisoned  ;  and  perhaps 
her  husband  comes  here  to  drown  his  remorse. 

"  That  black-haired,  rather  corpulent  man,  whose  vi- 
sage is  spoiled  by  a  dishonest  glance,  and  demeanor  tar- 
nished by  an  innate  vulgarity,  is  a  teacher  of  foreign  lan- 
guages. He  assumes  important  airs,  as  teachers  generally 
do ;  and  though  affecting,  in  his  discourse,  a  Puritan  aus- 
terity, few  men  are  more  intensely  devoted  to  the  pursuit 
of  gain.  An  adventurer,  he  had  but  one  purpose  in  view 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  145 

when  he  settled  in  the  United  States  and  commenced 
teaching — to  find  an  heiress.  After  a  fruitless  search  among 
his  young  pupils  of  the  fair  sex,  he  finally  fascinated  and 
married  a  spinster.  Her  savings  are  nightly  dwindling 
away  at  the  gaming-table." 

Here  Asmodeus  was  interrupted  by  a  quarrel  between 
two  players  who,  for  some  time,  had  been  seated  at  a 
private  table. 

"  Ha !  did  you  not  know,"  said  one  of  them,  (a  Kentuck- 
ian,  Asmodeus  informed  me,)  a  man  of  commanding  appear- 
ance, and  whose  face  was  hidden  by  a  profuse  beard — 
"  did  you  not  know  the  captain  of  a  steamer,  which,  a  few 
years  ago,  plied  between  Saint  Louis  and  New-Orleans  ? 
At  the  time  I  speak  of,  I  was  a  merchant  in  the  former 
city ;  and,  one  day,  I  sent  my  younger  brother  to  New- 
Orleans  with  an  important  sum  of  money  for  one  of  my 
correspondents.  That  brother  I  never  saw  again " 

"  Gentlemen,"  cried  out  the  proprietor  of  the  house, 
clenching  his  fist,  and  his  eyes  flashing  anger,  "  leave  my 
premises,  if  you  have  any  difficulty  to  settle.  I  do  not 
allow  disturbances  in  my  house  !" 

"  Keep  yourself  easy  on  that  score,  my  dear  sir,"  replied 
the  Kentuckian.  "  I  know  the  habits  of  the  persons  among 
whom  I  am,  and  never  depart  from  propriety  and  decency. 
I  was  only  reminding  this  gentleman,"  he  continued,  point- 
ing to  the  man  he  had  been  previously  gambling  with, 
"  that  my  young  brother  had  disappeared  ;  and  I  was  un- 
able for  a  long  while  to  learn  any  thing  positive  concerning 
his  fate.  I  could  only  ascertain  he  had  gambled  with  the 
captain  of  the  steamer  I  have  mentioned,  during  its  trip, 
and  that,  one  morning,  some  passengers,  inquiring  after 
him,  were  told  he  had  landed  during  the  night.  The 
truth  is,  the  imprudent  youth  had  been  thrown  overboard 


146  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

by  the  villain  who  had  cheated  him  at  play  and  robbed 
him  of  his  money." 

He  had  no  time  for  further  explanation.  The  man  he 
alluded  to  pulled  a  revolver  from  his  pocket  and  discharged 
its  contents  at  the  Kentuckian.  But  the  latter,  pouncing 
upon  his  enemy  as  a  tiger  upon  his  prey,  flung  him  to  the 
floor,  plunging,  at  the  same  time,  a  dagger  into  his  throat. 
Then  he  quietly  arose,  wiped  off  the  blood  which  had 
spurted  in  his  face,  and  coolly  apologized  to  the  proprietor 
for  involuntarily  disturbing  the  diversions  of  the  assem- 
bly. "  But,"  he  added,  "  you  must  admit  that  what  I  have 
done  is  just ;  for  I  have  met  to-night,  in  your  house,  after 
a  six  years'  fruitless  search,  the  wretch  who  has  just  paid 
with  his  life  the  penalty  for  a  foul  crime,  the  secret  of  which 
he  thought  was  buried  in  the  Mississippi.  I  could  not  let 
slip  the  opportunity  to  avenge  my  unfortunate  brother." 

In  the  mean  time,  a  few  gamblers  had  thought  proper  to 
leave  the  house  ;  while  others  bitterly  complained  of  hav- 
ing been  disturbed  in  their  play,  and  urged  the  dealer  to 
have  the  corpse  removed  and  resume  the  interrupted  game. 

"  The  game  is  closed  for  this  night,  gentlemen,"  said  the 
proprietor,  with  an  ugly  look.  "The  police  are  already 
informed  of  the  occurrence,  and  within  ten  minutes,  they 
will  make  a  descent  on  this  house.  The  best  thing  you  can 
do,  under  these  circumstances,  is  to  go  quietly  home." 

He  had  no  need  to  insist.  On  hearing  the  name  police, 
a  general  stampede  was  made  for  the. entrance-door  ;  and 
we  soon  found  ourselves  carried,  hurry-skurry,  into  the 
street. 


CHAPTER  XL 

IN  WHICH   ASMODEUS   DESCANTS   ON   THE   MOST   POWERFUL 
AGENCY   OF   CIVILIZATION   IN   THE   UNITED    STATES. 

COULD  hardly  stand  up — I  staggered  like  an 
inebriate.  No  one,  I  suppose,  can  witness,  with- 
out horror,  the  murder  of  a  fellow-creature ; 
and  I  could  not  drive  from  my  mind  the  awful 
sight  of  that  murdered  man,  weltering  in  his  blood. 

"  Try  to  calm  yourself,"  said  Asmodeus.  "  Whoever  is 
determined  to  settle  in  the  United  States  must  learn  to  con- 
trol his  nerves.  This  country  is  not  a  fit  abode  for  pecu- 
liarly sensitive  persons  ;  it  is  a  place  for  the  strong  and 
energetic  only.  You  can  not  expect  the  machinery  of  a  new 
society  to  work  as  regularly  and  smoothly  as  in  the  Old 
World,  where  it  has  been  in  course  of  perfection  for  cen- 
turies by  watchful  governments.  Indeed,  every  thing 
here  is  as  yet  in  its  infancy — cities,  industry,  institutions, 
civilization  itself.  The  cities  everywhere  are  growing 
in  beauty  and  extent.  Industry  is  ever  in  pursuit  of  those 
economical  laws  which  afford  adequate  remuneration  to 
both  capital  and  labor.  Political  institutions  themselves 
are,  of  course,  far  from  being  perfect ;  and  until  American 
civilization  takes  final  shape  and  firmly  secures  individual 
rights  and  safety  to  all,  revolvers  and  knives  are  of  ser- 
vice to  society.  They  correct  the  law's  insufficiencies,  and 


148  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

private  morals  have  no  more  efficient  protector.  Owing  to 
the  revolver,  seduction,  as  I  previously  remarked,  is  not 
a  common  thing,  because  seducers  are  aware  that  should 
the  law  fail  to  fully  satisfy  justice,  a  terrible  retribution 
awaits  them.  Dishonest  persons,  also,  are  cautious  lest 
they  wound  private  interests  which,  failing  to  obtain  suit- 
able redress  from  the  law,  vindicate  themselves  by  the  re- 
volver or  knife  of  the  wronged  party.  In  the  most  civilized 
countries  of  the  world,  in  spite  of  moralists  and  philan- 
thropists, the  duello  is  considered  a  useful  auxiliary  to 
society,  as  an  avenger  of  wrongs  the  law  is  powerless  to 
punish.  Here  the  formalities  attendant ^upon  the  duello  in 
the  Old  World  would  only  prove  a  loss  of  time,  inconsis- 
tent with  the  busy  habits  of  the  Americans.  But  whoever 
has  grossly  offended  another  has  no  need  to  receive  the 
offended  party's  seconds  to  know  his  life  is  threatened. 
Quick  work  is  made  of  the  business." 

I  stared  with  astonishment  on  hearing  this,  and  asked 
Asmodeus  whether  he  spoke  seriously. 

"  Decidedly,"  he  answered.  "  But  we  have  in  the 
United  States,  besides  those  I  have  alluded  to,  another 
auxiliary  to  law  and  society,  and  far  more  efficient  and 
vigilant  —  an  auxiliary  that  perceives  every  thing,  renders 
more  service  than  the  police,  and  does  more  service  to 
public  morals  than  the  thirty-five  thousand  ministers  of  the 
Gospel,  who,  every  Sunday,  supply  their  congregations  with 
long  and  tedious  sermons. 

"  We  are  now  near  the  dwelling  of  one  of  those  auxil- 
iaries to  law  ;  and  it  is  just  the  time  to  visit  it,  if  we  wish 
to  see  in  operation  one  of  the  wonders  of  modern  industry." 

I  understood,  on  entering  the  building,  what  Asmodeus 
meant.  We  were  in  the  establishment  of  one  of  the  most 
•  mportant  newspapers  in  the  United  States,  and,  probably, 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  149 

in  the  world.  From  the  roaring  of  the  steam  engine,  we 
inferred  that  the  next  issue  of  the  newspaper  had  gone  to 
press,  to  be  ready  by  daylight  for  perhaps  one  hundred 
thousand  readers.  I  had  previously  noticed  the  elegant 
building  in  which  that  newspaper  was  printed  and  pub- 
lished. Activity  and  remarkable  order  were  everywhere 
apparent ;  and,  as  Asmodeus  observed,  one  could  easily 
fancy  himself  to  be  in  a  temple  erected  to  intellectual 
labor. 

In  an  immense  cellar,  well  ventilated,  and  lighted  by  a 
hundred  gas-jets,  we  saw  the  revolving  printing-presses 
whose  roar  we  had  heard  in  the  street.  Their  long  arms, 
taking  hold  of  a  white  sheet  of  paper,  laid  it  open  upon 
a  table  over  which  passed  a  cylinder  with  lightning-like 
velocity  ;  while  others  taking  it  back,  all  printed,  carefully 
put  it  down  on  the  other  side  of  the  cylinder.  At  each 
revolution,  the  forms  upon  the  cylinders  were  passed  over 
by  a  roller,  incessantly  providing  itself  with  printing-ink. 
These  giants  of  modern  industry,  according  to  Asmodeus, 
were  capable  of  printing,  every  hour,  twenty-five  thousand 
copies  of  the  newspaper  we  were  then  examining  —  a 
newspaper  of  large  folio  size,  containing  forty-eight  col- 
umns of  reading  matter,  and  often  having  a  twenty-four 
column  supplement  besides.  In  an  adjoining  room,  many 
employees  were  busily  engaged  folding  the  sheets  fresh 
from  the  press,  and,  after  counting,  handed  them  either 
to  numberless  boys  to  sell  in  the  streets,  or  to  messengers, 
whose  business  it  was  to  carry  them  to  the  post-office  or 
to  newspaper  dealers. 

On  the  first  floor,  in  a  room  provided  with  handsome 
desks,  protected  by  finely  wrought  railings,  was  the  adver- 
tising department.  One  might  have  mistaken  it  for  a 
large  banking  institution.  From  daylight  to  a  late  hour  in 


150  AsmodeUs  in  New -York. 

the  evening,  it  is  crowded  by  persons  bringing  in  their 
advertisements  and  money.  On  the  other  floors,  we  were 
shown  the  rooms  of  the  editors  and  reporters  ;  a  well-stocked 
library,  and  even  a  telegraph  apparatus,  by  means  of  which 
communication  may  be  held  with  the  most  remote  parts  of 
the  Union,  and  even  of  the  civilized  world.  In  the  upper 
story  we  saw  the  composing-room,  twenty  feet  high,  pro- 
vided with  all  the  material  requisite  to  give  employment 
to  three  hundred  compositors.  An  ingenious  contrivance 
communicates  with  the  different  floors  and  carries  the 
"  forms  "  of  the  compositors  to  the  press-room  belcfw.  It 
is  also  used  by  the  managers  of  the  paper  to  issue  orders, 
which  are  instantly  executed  throughout  their  vast  domain. 
"  Ab  uno  disce  omnes"  said  Asmodeus,  after  we  had 
examined  every  thing.  "  A  number  of  newspaper  estab- 
lishments,-in  the  United  States,  if  not  so  elegantly,  are  at 
least  as  completely  fitted  up.  For  the  Press,  which  is  the 
fourth  power  of  the  state  in  some  countries  of  Europe,  is 
incontestably  the  first  in  America.  The  Press  is  the  prin- 
cipal means  that  helps  elect  the  Presidents  of  the  Repub- 
lic, secure  their  reelection,  or  cause  their  defeat.  It  des-  • 
ignates  the  members  of  their  cabinet,  influences  the  votes 
of  the  legislators,  dictates  the  judgments  of  the  courts  of 
law,  declares  war  and  concludes  peace.  Its  voice  con- 
stantly resounds  and  its  activity  is  untiring.  There  is 
not  a  hamlet  where  it  is  not  welcomed ;  no  question  it 
does  not  raise ;  no  problem  it  does  not  solve.  It  creates 
and  destroys  reputations,  and  breaks  in  pieces  to-day  the 
idol  it  worshiped  yesterday.  Fond  of  excitement,  as 
sensitive  as  the  ichneumon,  as  teasing  as  a  spoiled  child, 
impatient  of  control,  crushing  all  competitors  ;  in  short, 
as  despotic  as  an  Indian  potentate  —  such  is  the  Press  in 
the  United  States. 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  151 

"  Almost  the  first  thing  an  American  does,  on  rising  from 
his  bed,  is  to  peruse  a  morning  paper,  and  after  he  has 
completed  his  day's  work,  he  reads  an  evening  journal. 
There  are  newspapers  for  women,  for  old  men,  and  for 
children.  Some  are  devoted  to  the  married;  some  to 
bachelors  and  maidens ;  to  the  rich,  to  the  poor ;  to  the 
learned,  to  those  who  wish  to  learn ;  to  every  sect  and 
religious  denomination  ;  to  every  system  and  theory,  to 
every  profession  ;  and  to  every  folly. 

"  To  deprive  an  American  of  his  newspaper  would  be 
equivalent  to  shutting  him  from  the  light  of  day.  Newspa- 
pers are  as  necessary  to  him  as  the  atmosphere  he  breathes, 
they  are  the  food  and  recreation  of  his  mind.  He  reads 
them  while  walking,  talking,  writing,  or  eating.  Not  satis- 
fied with  those  he  purchases  himself,  he  borrows  his  neigh- 
bor's. While  families  club  together  in  Europe,  to  secure 
a  newspaper,  with  a  view  of  reducing  its  cost,  Americans 
often  buy  two  dailies — one  morning  and  one  evening 
paper,  and  not  a  few  purchase  half  a  dozen  dailies  —  so 
great  is  the  eagerness  for  news ;  so  general  the  desire  of 
being  posted  on  the  events  and  things  of  the  day. 

"  After  returning  from  church,  the  American  spends  the 
remainder  of  the  Sabbath  in  reading  the  weeklies  he  was 
careful  to  purchase  the  day  before.  His  wife  reads  the 
periodicals  devoted  to  her  sex ;  and  their  children  enjoy 
themselves  with  illustrated  magazines. 

"  It  has  been  said  the  very  first  thing  Frenchmen  do,  in 
any  country  where  they  go  and  carry  civilization,  is  to 
establish  a  coffee-house ;  the  Americans,  everywhere  they 
settle,  promote  the  interests  of  mankind  and  civilization  by 
publishing  a  newspaper  !  There  are  scattered,  in  the  far 
West,  small  villages  in  the  midst  of  boundless  forests,  and 
in  each  of  which,  perhaps,  fifty  families  dwell.  Each  vil- 


152  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

lage  contains  a  church,  which  is  used,  at  the  same  time,  for 
school  purposes  ;  and  in  the  only  street,  invariably  called 
Broadway,  over  the  door  of  a  frame  building,  situated  near 
the  post-office,  a  large  sign  informs  travelers  that  the  new 
town  is  already  provided  with  a  newspaper  and  a  printing- 
office. 

"  It  is  ascertained,  from  official  sources  and  the  census 
statistics  of  the  United  States,  that  many  villages,  whose 
population  does  not  exceed  two  thousand,  sustain  two 
semi-weekly  newspapers.  The  United  States,  politically 
speaking,  being  usually  divided  into  two  parties,  each  of 
these  must  have  its  own  organ.  New  political  organiza- 
tions, which  soon  disappear  after  elections,  must  have 
theirs  also.  A  newspaper  is  their  birth-register. 

"All  nationalities  are  represented  by  the  Press  in  the 
United  States.  Without  speaking  of  those  printed  in 
English — which  is,  if  not  the  national,  at  least  the  most 
commonly  spoken  language — there  are  newspapers  printed 
in  German,  in  French,  in  Italian,  in  Spanish,  in  Hebrew — 
even  in  the  Chinese  vernacular,  for  the  Celestials  in  Cali- 
fornia. These  are  of  all  sizes  :  some  are  as  large  as 
front-doors,  and  others  nearly  as  small  as  a  prayer-book. 
As  regards  the  color  of  paper  used  to  print  upon,  it  is  varied 
to  suit  the  publisher's  fancy — yellow,  blue,  pink,  purple — 
without  speaking  of  white  ;  and  that  paper  is  made  of 
every  conceivable  material,  from  cotton  down  to  straw. 

"  Twenty  dailies  are  published  in  New- York  alone ; 
Philadelphia  boasts  of  a  dozen  ;  Boston,  Baltimore,  Cin- 
cinnati, Louisville,  Saint  Louis,  New-Orleans,  and  Chicago, 
nearly  as  many ;  and  less  important  cities  sustain  half  a 
dozen  dailies,  either  morning  or  evening  papers. 

"The  subscription  system  is  seldom  resorted  to,  espe- 
cially in  large  cities.  Newspapers  are  sold,  by  wholesale, 


Asmodetis  in  New -York.  153 

to  agents  or. dealers,  who  retail  them  to. the  public.  By 
this  means,  the  expenses  incident  to  a  complicated  sub- 
scription-list are  avoided.  Any  responsibility  at  all,  were 
the  subscription  system  in  use,  would  be  impossible  with 
some  New-York  and  Philadelphia  newspaper-houses,  which 
issue  sixty  thousand  copies  daily,  and  sometimes  even 
more. 

"  With  a  people  so  fond  of  reading,  a  printing-machine 
whose  powers  of  rapidity  would  be  adequate  to  the  public 
wants  was  a  great  desideratum.  As  a  matter  of  course 
an  American  conceived  the  project  of,  and  invented,  the 
cylinder  printing-press  we  have  just  seen  in  operation. 

"  Concerning  the  unrivaled  influence  newspapers  exert 
in  the  United  States,  I  must  confess  they  deserve  it.  No- 
where else  are  they  so  complete  and  so  well  conceived. 
They  are  not  dull  chroniclers  of  passing  events,  but  rather 
encyclopaedias,  where  all  interesting  questions  are  dis- 
cussed, and  which  abound  with  information  on  matters  of 
great  concern  to  mankind.  American  newspapers  are  in- 
defatigable expositors  of  truth  and  beauty  in  religion,  liter- 
ature, the  fine  arts,  politics,  and  science,  and  one  is  struck 
with  astonishment  at  seeing  the  varied  knowledge  and  real 
talent  these  intellectual  monitors  exhibit  every  day. 

"  Statesmen  and  public  functionaries  are  taught  by  news- 
papers ;  and  in  deliberative  bodies,  the  most  statesmanlike 
views,  the  most  sensible  opinions,  the  most  profound  dis- 
sertations, emanate  from  former  journalists ;  and  it  is 
owing  to  the  cheapness  of  magazines  and  newspapers,  that 
the  United  States  are  mainly  indebted  for  their  material 
and  intellectual  development. 

"  Public  schools  are,  indeed,  numerous,  and  answer,  as 
near  as  possible,  the  elementary  wants  of  the  people.  But 
the  press  completes  their  work,  by  spreading  among  the 


154  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

masses  useful  and  practical  knowledge.  Every  body  feels 
concerned  about  public  affairs,  because  every  body  reads 
newspapers  ;  and  the  power  of  the  Press  is  nearly  bound- 
less, because  it  represents  an  enlightened  public  opinion — 
an  opinion  formed  by  all  classes  of  society,  and  not,  as  in 
Europe,  by  a  few  privileged  castes  only. 

"  From  the  comprehensive  census  published,  every  ten 
years,  by  the  Federal  administration,  it  appears  that,  in 
1850,  the  number  of  periodicals  and  dailies,  political  and 
non-political,  published  in  the  United  States,  was  2526. 
In  1860,  that  number  had  reached  4051.  According  to 
the  census  of  1850,  the  number  of  copies,  annually  printed, 
was  about  500,000,000.  Ten  years  later,  it  had  nearly 
doubled,  being  927,951,548,  on  an  average,  thirty-five 
copies  for  every  citizen  of  the  republic  ! 

"  Statisticians  assert  that  the  Press  is  the  most  impor- 
tant aid  to  their  researches,  and  deserving  their  most  seri- 
ous attention,  because  no  other  data  can  afford  so  much 
information  respecting  the  status  of  society  and  the  habits 
of  the  people.  On  the  other  hand,  an  eminent  thinker  has 
contended  that  the  diameter  of  the  Press  is  the  diameter 
of  civilization  itself.  Hence  the  importance  and  bearings 
of  the  above  figures  can  escape  no  impartial  mind,  taking 
into  consideration  the  number  of  papers  and  periodicals 
published  in  the  United  States,  which  actually  equals  that 
of  those  printed  in  Europe,  with  its  population  eight  times 
larger  than  that  of  the  American  Republic  ! 

"The  American  newspaper  reviews  every  morning,  in 
its  columns,  all  the  countries  of  the  world.  Those  columns 
resemble  a  mirror,  in  which  are  reflected  all  the  events 
which  interest  or  affect  the  different  people  of  both  hemi- 
spheres. In  them  may  be  found  correspondence  from  all 
important  centres  of  the  world  ;  for  the  American  Press 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  155 

employs  everywhere,  at  an  immense  cost,  special  corre- 
spondents, not  a  few  of  whom  are  men  of  great  talent  and 
distinguished  writers. 

"  Even  advertisements  in  the  American  newspapers  are 
attractive — more  so  than  those  in  papers  of  other  countries. 
Methodically  arranged,  they  cover  all  branches  of  human 
activity,  and  apply,  in  turn,  to  financiers,  lawyers,  physi- 
cians, merchants,  and  business  men ;  to  those  in  want  of 
a  situation,  as  to  those  who  want  help ;  and  they  forget 
neither  our  pleasures  nor  our  pains  ;  neither  births  nor 
deaths.  Persons  in  pursuit  of  matrimonial  mates  also 
advertise  ;  and  though  foreigners  wonder  at  the  most  im- 
portant transaction  of  life  being  conducted  through  the 
columns  of  a  daily,  it  has  not,  as  yet,  been  demonstrated 
that  marriages  contracted  under  the  auspices  of  the  Press 
are  less  happy  than  others. 

"  Contrary  to  what  is  observed  in  many  other  countries, 
magistrates  and  policemen  admire  the  press,  and  extend 
to  it  their  sympathy  on  every  possible  occasion.  They 
regard  it  as  the  best  detective  at  their  command — the 
most  reliable  and  efficient  agent  against  evildoers.  When 
any  offense  or  crime  is  committed,  newspapers  give  such 
minute  details,  such  complete  information  respecting  its 
circumstances  and  supposed  authors,  that  the  latter  are 
soon  traced  and  discovered  by  the  aid  of  a  people  whose 
suspicions  and  watchfulness  have  been  thus  aroused. 
Though  the  passport  system  does  not  exist  in  the  United 
States,  and  in  spite  of  the  republic's  extensive  domains, 
offenders  seldom  escape.  The  Press,  with  its  Argus  eyes, 
soon  ferrets  them  out  of  their  hiding-places,  and  notwith- 
standing their  disguises. 

"  Every  body,  you  are  aware,  is  at  liberty,  in  this  coun- 
try, to  choose  the  business  or  profession  for  which  he  thinks 


156  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

himself  qualified  ;  all  careers  are  open,  without  reservation 
or  distinction.  The  art  of  printing  is,  consequently,  un- 
trammeled,  like  every  other  avocation  or  business ;  and  it 
is,  perhaps,  useless  to  say  that  no  law  foi  or  against  the 
Press  exists.  Whoever  desires  to  become  an  editor  or 
journalist,  starts  a  newspaper  at  the  sole  risk  of  his  purse. 
He  needs  no  previous  authorization  from  State  or  Federal 
government ;  he  has  no  money  to  deposit  in  the  public 
treasury,  as  a  pledge  of  his  good  behavior ;  he  is  not 
bound,  before  going  to  press,  to  submit  a  copy  of  his 
paper  to  the  scrutiny  of  any  officer  of  the  law ;  and  he  has 
no  fear  of  warnings  from  the  government.  Prosecutions 
against  newspapers  by  public  authorities  are  unknown ; 
still,  and  because  the  freedom  of  the  Press  has  no  limit, 
slander  is  severely  punished.  But  lawsuits,  even  for  slan- 
der, are  not  common.  True,  newspapers  are  not  slow  to 
assail  public  functionaries  ;  but  the  latter,  in  relinquishing 
their  private  life  to  serve  their  country,  are  resigned  be- 
forehand to  the  attacks  of  the  Press.  The  organs  of  the 
party  to  which  they  belong  take  their  part,  and  public 
opinion  is  finally  the  supreme  judge. 

"Another  result,  derived  from  the  right  possessed  by 
every  body  to  publish  without  fear  what  he  thinks  con- 
cerning public  affairs,  must  be  noticed.  The  political  po- 
lice, that  insufferable  nuisance  in  the  Old  World,  does  not 
exist  here,  because  it  is  utterly  useless.  What  plot  could 
a  political  police  discover  ?  what  conspiracy  ?  At  the  same 
time,  secret  societies  are  not  tolerated.  Their  usefulness, 
questionable  everywhere,  can  not,  in  any  case,  be  acknow- 
ledged in  the  United  States. 

"Without  hunting  after  scandals  in  private  life,  the 
American  Press  claims  the  right  to  expose  whomsoever 
violates  morals  or  public  decency.  Vainly  such  a  privi- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  157 

lege  is  denounced  as  a  dangerous  one — as  undermining 
the  social  fabric.  It  is  an  undeniable  fact  that  the  fear 
of  newspaper  comment  is  a  salutary  restraint  which,  per- 
haps, prevents  many  an  offense  ;  but  the  inconveniences 
of  such  a  prerogative  of  the  Press  are  compensated  by  the 
multitudinous  advantages  it  procures  to  society.  If  cor- 
ruption has  not  entirely  subverted  political  institution's; 
if  public  morals  are  not  yet  irretrievably  lost,  assailed  as 
they  are  by  a  universal  and  intense  love  of  money,  the 
American  Press  may  boast  of  this  result.  Wicked  people 
are  afraid  of  it — more,  perhaps,  than  of  the  law. 

"  For  all  these  reasons,  sensible  Americans  consider  the 
Press  as  the  keystone  of  their  social  and  political  organi- 
zations. Freedom  of  thought  is,  in  their  opinion,  not  less 
indispensable  than  freedom  of  speech,  to  arrive  at  all 
truths  in  religion,  in  morals,  in  politics,  in  science. 

"  It  may  be  affirmed  that  newspapers  are  the  true  litera- 
ture of  the  United  States.  They  constitute,  in  fact,  the  most 
important  branch  of  literature  with  democratic  societies. 
When  one  thinks  of  the  army  of  compositors  whom  the  four 
thousand  and  more  newspapers  published  in  the  United 
States  employ,  of  the  time  required  to  set  in  type  the  mat- 
ter contained  in  their  thousands  and  thousands  of  columns, 
the  efforts  prosecuted  with  such  indomitable  energy  by  the 
Americans  to  apply  steam  to  type-setting  are  readily  under- 
stood. If  such  a  problem  is  ever  satisfactorily  solved,  the 
world  will  doubtless  be  indebted  to  America  for  it;  and 
the  steam  compositor,  or  type-setter,  will  be  a  worthy  com- 
panion to  the  revolving  printing-machine,  invented  by  an 
American." 

"  But  how,"  said  I  to  Asmodeus,  "  can  the  proprietors 
of  American  newspapers  afford  to  keep,  in  every  part  of 
the  globe,  those  correspondents  you  have  alluded  to  ? 


158  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

Whence  are  derived  their  resources  to  pay  so  numerous 
a  staff  of  writers  and  reporters  ?  And  how  are  they  ena- 
bled, with  such  heavy  expenditures,  to  sell  their  issues  to 
the  public  at  so  cheap  a  rate  ?" 

"  In  the  first  place,  no  Congress  has  ever  been  so  fool- 
hardy as  to  subject  newspapers  to  a  stamp  duty — a  duty 
the  consumer,  or  reader,  has,  in  reality,  to  pay.  Monopo- 
lies are  always  dangerous  things,  but  they  are  exceedingly 
so  as  regards  the  press.  If  its  freedom  was  restricted  or 
impeded,  that  freedom  would  soon  be  controlled  by  capi- 
talists, and  the  benefits  of  the  institution  cease  to  be  within 
the  reach  of  the  masses. 

"Well,  the  masses  want  cheap  newspapers,  and  conse- 
quently stamp  duties  have  not  been,  up  to  this  day,  thought 
of.  For  the  same  reasons,  postage  rates  for  newspapers 
are  moderate.  Besides  these  causes,  which  explain  why 
American  newspapers  are  sold  at  a  low  price,  their  pro- 
prietors derive  extensive  sums  of  money  from  advertise- 
ments. While  advertising  is  seldom  resorted  to  in  Europe, 
it  is  here  a  general  rule  with  business  people.  No  mer- 
chant expects  to  succeed  unless  he  makes  repeated  ap- 
peals to  the  public  for  custom  through  the  columns  of 
newspapers ;  and  it  is  impossible  to  form  an  approxima- 
tion of  the  amount  of  money  yearly  spent  for  advertising 
purposes.  The  receipts  of  the  principal  dailies  of  New- 
York  sometimes  amount  to  four  thousand  dollars  per  day, 
solely  for  advertisements  to  be  inserted  in  their  next  issues. 
To  these  profits  add  those  produced  from  the  sale  of  a  con- 
siderable number  of  copies,  and  you  will  comprehend  that 
the  income  of  some  newspaper  proprietors  in  New- York 
and  Philadelphia,  and  some  other  large  cities,  is  equal  to 
that  of  the  wealthiest  manufacturers  of  England. 

"  The  development  of  the  American  Press  has  kept  pace 


Asmodeus  in  New-York.  159 

with  that  of  the  country.  I  remember  the  first  number  of 
the  newspaper  whose  wonderful  facilities  we  have  just  ex- 
amined. It  was  a  penny  paper,  printed  on  a  sheet  about 
one  foot  square,  containing  in  all  sixteen  columns.  The 
office  of  publication  was  situated  in  a  dark  basement  of  a 
modest  house  in  a  quiet  street.  That  first  number  con- 
tained some  startling  facts  concerning  the  status  of  New- 
York  City  at  that  time,  which  was  in  the  year  1835.  The 
editor,  who  had  a  great  liking  for  statistics,  informed  his 
readers  that  New- York  had,  with  its  suburbs,  a  population 
of  260,000  inhabitants.  'The  New-York  Directory]  he 
added,  'gives  31,150  names,  and  2000  immigrants  land 
on  our  shores  every  year.'  Well,  the  population  of 
New- York  and  its  suburbs,  to-day,  amounts  to  nearly  one 
million  and  a  half;  the  Directory  contains  500,000  names  ; 
and  instead  of  receiving  2000  immigrants  yearly,  that 
number  of  foreigners  often  arrive  in  a  single  day.  That 
little  quarto  sheet  has  now  become  a  large  paper,  contain- 
ing every  morning  seventy-two  columns  of  reading-matter ! 
"  While  profiting  by  the  development  of  the  country,  the 
Press  has  contributed  to  it  to  a  great  extent.  It  is  but 
just  to  admire  the  enterprise,  sagacity,  and  love  of  progress 
of  American  journalists.  At  the  same  time,  it  is  to  be  re- 
gretted that  they  believe  it  necessary  to  constantly  praise 
the  people  and  flatter  their  prejudices  and  passions,  for  the 
sake  of  retaining  an  influence  over  them.  Flattery  does 
not  lose  its  name  because  it  is  addressed  to  many,  instead 
of  a  few,  and  the  flatterers  of  a  people  are  no  less  despica- 
ble than  the  courtiers  of  a  king.  Because  of  the  hyperbo- 
lic praises  which  four  thousand  newspapers  lavish  on  the 
American  people,  the  countrymen  of  the  good  and  modest 
Washington  are  often  exposed  to  the  sneers  of  foreigners, 
on  account  of  their  overbearing  and  overweening  conceit. 


i6o  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

Constantly  praise  a  dwarf  for  his  high  stature,  and  he  will 
soon  believe  himself  a  giant." 

I  could  not  help  laughing  at  this  last  freak  of  Asrno- 
deus's  mind,  as  we  issued  forth  from  the  great  newspaper 
establishment. 

"If  I  can  believe  my  optics,"  said  my  companion  jocu- 
larly, "  the  stars  are  beginning  to  disappear  from  the  cano- 
py of  heaven :  it  is  time  to  seek  repose.  Farewell,  till 
to-morrow." 


CHAPTER   XII. 

GIVES   THE   SEQUEL   OF   HELENA   RONFORT's    HISTORY. 

[JCCORDING  to  promise,  Asmodeus   appeared 
the  next  day,  just  as  my  attention  was  called  to 
a  group  of  excited  men,  gesticulating  and  speak- 
ing loudly  under  my  window. 
"  It  is  a  shameful  thing,"  said  they  ;  "  here  is  a  poor 
man  breathing  his  last,  and  no  whisky  can  be  procured  to 
afford  him  relief !" 

While  advancing  near  the  group  to  hear  and  see  better, 
I  asked  Asmodeus  whether  he  knew  the  cause  of  their 
concern.  "  Of  course  I  do,"  said  he,  "  and  here  it  is  :  an 
intoxicated  man,  laboring  under  delirium  tremens,}\&s  fallen 
on  the  side-walk.  Many  believe  that  only  spirituous  li- 
quors can  relieve  sufferers  of  that  awful  disease  ;  but  as 
this  is  election-day,  all  bar-rooms  are  closed,  and  no  liquors 
can  be  obtained.  That  is  the  cause  of  the  indignation  of 
these  fellows.  They  would  gladly  profit  by  the  occasion 
to  give  the  slip  to  the  law.  But  let  us  see  the  unfortunate 
man." 

He  was  struggling  arid  writhing  in  dreadful  convulsions, 
and  a  red  froth  oozed  from  his  mouth.  Whoever  has  not 
seen  the  terrible  effects  of  this  disease,  produced  by  the 
abuse  of  spirituous  liquors,  can  not  realize  them. 

"Thousands  and  thousands  of  people,"  said  Asmodeus, 


1 62  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

"  die  every  year  from  the  effects  of  intemperance ;  and 
you  can  perceive  how  the  sight  of  the  miseries  produced 
by  the  vice  of  intoxication  has  given  birth  to  the  tem- 
perance party,  whose  influence  is  rapidly  gaining  ground, 
and  which  perhaps  will  finally  prevail  upon  Congress  to 
enact  laws  prohibiting  the  distillation  and  sale  of  spirituous 
liquors  in  the  United  States.  The  American  people  are 
not  very  partial  to  wine  ;  the  country  produces  but  a  small 
quantity  of  it,  and  its  quality  is  questionable.  Whisky  is  the 
national  drink  ;  half  of  the  corn  crop  is  used  for  distilling 
purposes.  Many  physicians  assert  that  few  liquors  are 
more  hurtful  than  whisky — delirium  tremens  being,  most 
generally,  the  result  of  whisky-drinking.  It  is  a  noticea- 
ble fact  that,  in  countries  where  the  taste  for  fermented 
liquors  predominates,  the  vice  of  intoxication  is  less  exten- 
sive than  where  distilled  drinks  are  indulged  in.  The 
Americans,  who  go  to  extremes  in  every  thing,  when  they 
once  commence  to  drink,  seldom  stop  until  they  are  in- 
toxicated. It  is  contended  that  the  country's  dry  atmo- 
sphere contributes  to  develop  among  them  a  liking  for 
strong  potations  ;  and  in  fact,  nowhere  else  does  one  need 
so  often  to  quench  his  thirst. 

"To  satisfy  their  appetite  for  liquors,  the  American 
people  import  gin  from  Holland,  rum  and  tafia  from  the 
West-Indies,  whisky  from  Scotland  and  Ireland,  heavy 
colored  wines  from  Spain,  and  brandies  and  champagne 
from  France.  More  champagne  is  consumed  in  the  Unit- 
ed States  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  world  ;  and  the 
demand  for  that  sparkling  beverage  is  ten  times  greater 
here  than  in  France  itself.  Drinking  is  not  a  mere  inci- 
dent among  the  diversions  of  a  more  refined  nature.  It  is 
often  the  concealed,  if  not  the  ostensible  and  paramount, 
object  of  parties  and  festivals. 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  163 

"  As  for  this  wretched  victim  of  a  fatal  habit,  now  in  the 
pangs  of  death,  nothing  can  be  done  for  him  ;  and  death, 
besides,  is  a  blessing  the  poor  fellow  has  long  prayed  for. 

"  But,  by  the  way,"  added  Asmodeus,  after  a  short  silence, 
"  this  occurrence  reminds  me  that  I  have  to  tell  you  the 
sequel  of  the  history  of  the  songstress.  I  will  relate  it  while 
we  are  on  our  way  to  the  political  club  where  I  purpose  to 
take  you,  after  seeing  how  elections  are  conducted  in  the 
great  city  of  New- York." 

HELENA  RONFORT'S  HISTORY. 


SECOND  AND   LAST  CHAPTER. 


"  IF  we  acknowledge  marriage  to  be  a  sacred  institution 
— the  keystone  of  all  society  built  upon  a  Christian  basis, 
we  must  admit,  as  a  necessary  consequence,  that  adultery 
is  the  most  atrocious  of  all  crimes.  It  can  hardly  be  con- 
ceived how,  in  some  countries  of  Europe,  the  relinquish- 
ment  of  conjugal  duties  is  looked  upon  as  a  venial  sin. 
indeed,  adultery  is  a  favorite  theme  with  authors  and 
poets ;  and  persons  frequenting  theatres  are  almost  inva- 
riably entertained  with  deceptions  practiced  upon  hus- 
bands. If  the  theatre  is  a  school  for  morals,  the  worship 
of  virtue  is  there  taught  in  a  very  singular  manner  ;  and 
modern  dramatists  have  a  queer  way  of  keeping  in  honor  an 
institution,  considered  from  the  church  fathers  down  to  the 
philosophers  of  our  age,  as  the  most  important  of  society. 

"  The  United  States  have  not  as  yet  attained  that  de- 
gree of -refined  civilization  which  openly  sets  at  defiance 
principles  of  morality  and  virtue,  and  corrupts  the  frivolous 
under  pretense  of  amusing  them.  The  masses  are  sound 
here,  and  would  hardly  permit  the  institution  of  marriage 
to  be  derided  in  the  public  theatres.  Vainly  a  sickly  lit- 


164  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

erature  has  striven  to  invade  the  book-trade,  and  illus- 
trated weeklies  to  offend  the  sense  of  propriety  and  de- 
cency. The  theatre  has  been  comparatively  free  up  to 
this  day,  of  demoralizing  sensation  and  influence.  But  it 
does  not  follow,  because  the  institution  is  as  yet  the  object 
of  public  veneration,  no  home  is  ever  defiled.  The  viola- 
tion of  conjugal  faith  is  not,  unfortunately,  an  unknown 
fact.  But  here  the  seducer  is  an  object  of  contempt  and 
aversion,  instead  of  being  looked  upon  as  a  hero,  and  the 
insulted  husband  is  sure  of  public  sympathy ;  while,  in  Eu- 
rope, he  would  be  sneeringly  pitied. 

"  When  Edward  Ronfort  wrote  he  was  about  to  return 
from  the  West,  his  wife  Helena  and  his  brother  Robert, 
it  may  be  remembered,  were  struck  with  consternation. 
They  had,  indeed,  ample  cause  to  be  so.  Helena  shared 
the  passion  she  had  kindled  in  Robert's  heart,  and  a 
criminal  intimacy  had  sprung  up  between  them.  In  her 
case,  the  violation  of  conjugal  faith  was  all  the  more  odi- 
ous in  that  she  was  the  mother  of  two  children,  and  the 
sister-in-law  of  her  paramour. 

"  The  predicament  in  which  the  lovers  were  placed  was 
awful  indeed ;  though  they  had  sought  to  conceal  their 
intrigue,  an  unavoidable  circumstance  was  sure  to  soon 
divulge  it.  Helena  was  pregnant  when  Edward,  after  an 
absence  at  the  West,  returned  to  his  home  ;  and  one  can 
imagine  the  perplexity  of  the  lovers.  But  Robert  began 
to  look  more  coolly  at  the  case,  and  tried  to  bring  Helena 
over  to  his  views.  '  You  can  not,'  said  he,  '  insult  your 
husband's  presence.  In  case  he  should  kill  you,  nobody 
would  blame  him  for  thus  avenging  the  ruin  of  his  honor 
and  happiness.  Leave  with  me  forever  the  United  States; 
for  I  am  determined  not  to  await  his  return.  Even  were  I 
to  stay,  it  would  be  for  the  purpose  of  begging  my  brother's 


Asmodeus  in  New -York,  165 

pardon,,  and  asking  him  as  a  favor  to  take  my  life.  What- 
ever be  the  extent  of  my  fault,  circumstances  impose  upon 
me  duties  respecting  both  you  and  the  innocent  being  to 
whom  you  will  shortly  give  birth,  from  which  I  will  not 
shrink.  You  deplore  what  has  taken  place,  but  it  is  now 
too  late.  It  remains  only  for  us  to  accept  the  responsi- 
bility of  our  indiscretion,  and  hie  away  to  some  distant 
clime  where  our  fault  shall  not  be  known.  It  is  the  only 
safe  way  to  escape  the  resentment  of  your  outraged  hus- 
band.' 

"  In  fact,  their  flight  would  have  been,  perhaps,  for  both 
Helena  and  Robert,  the  most  desirable  and  rational  thing 
they  could  have  devised.  But  Helena  would  not  listen  to 
her  paramour's  advice,  because  the  guilty  mother  declined 
to  separate  from  her  children  ;  and  to  take  them  along  in 
case  of  their  flight,  was  a  thing  neither  Helena  nor  Robert 
could  think  of  doing,  as  the  abduction  of  the  little  ones 
would  have  filled  up  the  measure  of  their  infamy,  besides 
aiding  Edward  to  find  their  hiding-place.  Anyhow,  no 
time  was  to  be  lost,  and  some  resolution  had  to  be  at  once 
taken  ;  for  in  a  few  hours  Edward  would  arrive.  Extra- 
ordinary as  her  determination  may  appear,  Helena  decided 
to  confront  her  husband,  and  to  confess  to  him  her  fault, 
depending  on  his  love  for  forgiveness.  There  are,  no  doubt, 
circumstances  which  may  mitigate  a  wife's  guilt,  and  impel 
her  husband  to  pardon  ;  but  such  was  the  aggravation  of 
the  outrage  in  Helena's  case,  that  the  hope  of  forgiveness 
was  a  mere  delusion.  She  reckoned  too  much  on  human 
weakness,  on  her  influence  over  her  husband,  when  she 
expected  it  an  easy  thing  to  soothe  his  resentment ;  she 
did  not  know  the  most  unmerciful  and  inexorable  of  men 
are  those  who  have  been  deceived  by  the  objects  of  cheir 
love. 


1 66  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

"  Such  was  Edward.  When  he  arrived  at  the  paternal 
mansion,  he  found  there  only  his  mother.  The  old  lady 
was  unable  to  give  him  any  explanation  in  respect  to  the 
absence  of  his  wife  ;  neither  could  she  tell  what  had  be- 
come of  Robert.  The  disappearance  of  both  his  brother 
and  Helena  at  the  same  time,  was  arousing  the  most  pain- 
ful suspicions  in  Edward's  mind,  when  a  servant  handed 
him  two  letters,  left  by  Robert  before  going  away.  One  of 
them,  from  Robert  himself,  was  addressed  to  his  mother. 
In  a  few  lines,  he  apprised  the  old  lady  that  he  had  en- 
listed in  one  of  the  regiments,  in  the  course  of  formation 
for  the  defense  of  the  Union  ;  hoping  in  serving  his  country, 
he  said,  to  end  a  life  that  had  become  to  him  an  insuffer- 
able burden,  and  begging  his  mother's  blessing.  The 
other  letter  was  from  Helena.  She  informed  her  husband 
she  had  retired  to  her  father's  house,  declaring  she  would 
give  him  further  explanation  respecting  her  strange  ab- 
sence, if  he  would  call  on  her. 

"  Anatomists  of  the  human  heart  have  often  discussed 
whether  the  feeling  of  honor  and  self  respect  is  as  intense 
and  acute  with  women  as  with  men.  While  refraining 
from  giving  an  opinion  on  that  interesting  point,  I  may 
state  it  seems  conclusive  that,  in  many  cases  where  honor 
is  at  stake,  woman  shows  a  less  acute  sensibility  than  man. 
She  is  unable  to  understand  at  once  the  gravity  of  some 
situations — such,  for  instance,  as  that  in  which  a  question 
of  honor  impels  two  courageous  men  to  meet  in  deadly 
combat ;  and  owing  to  which,  in  spite  of  law,  the  pulpit, 
and  philosophy,  dueling — the  remains,  if  you  please,  of 
a  barbarous  but  at  the  same  time  chivalrous  period — could 
not  be  eradicated  from  the  habits  of  the  most  refined 
societies. 

"  In  the  middle  ages,  up  to  a  time  near  our  own  genera- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  167 

tion,  Europe  contained  many  retreats,  in  which  men  and 
women  sought  a  refuge  from  the  world,  burying  with  them 
in  their  cloisters  terrible  secrets  or  inconsolable  sorrows. 
Our  civilization,  which  carries  light  everywhere,  can  hardly 
reconcile  itself  with  those  asylums,  the  necessity  of  which, 
however,  in  many  circumstances,  some  sound  minds  have 
admitted.  Perhaps,  had  convents  been  in  existence  in  our 
midst,  Helena  would  have  determined  to  shut  'up  her 
miserable  life  forever  within  one  of  them,  thus  striving  to 
redeem  her  fault  by  repentance.  For  want  of  that  refuge, 
and  after  deciding  not  to  follow  Robert  to  a  strange  land, 
she  had  only  one  course  to  follow :  that  she  took,  when,  the 
day  after  his  return,  Edward  called  on  her  at  her  father's 
house.  The  latter  was  present  at  the  interview ;  and  be- 
fore that  old  man,  Helena  related  all  the  circumstances 
attending  her  fall.  The  astonishment  which  followed  this 
confession  may  be  more  easily  imagined  than  described. 
The  despair  of  Edward  passed  all  limits.  Perhaps,  when 
Helena  had  completed  her  confession,  and  named  her 
seducer,  he  would  even  have  realized  his  brother's  predic- 
tions and  killed  his  wife,  but  for  the  interference  of  her 
father. 

"  Edward,  almost  frantic,  left  the  house,  swearing  he 
would  take  his  brother's  life  ;  and  a  fratricide  would  have 
probably  startled  the  community  at  that  time,  and  revealed 
to  the  public  this  scandal,  had  not  the  regiment  of  volun- 
teers in  which  Robert  enlisted  already  departed  for  the 
seat  of  war.  But  his  children's  love  and  his  old  mother's 
comforting  words — above  all,  time,  the  soother  of  all  sor- 
rows— soon  brought  some  tranquillity  to  Edward's  mind. 
After  a  few  clays  he  was  able  to  ponder  upon  the  sad 
events  which  had  marred  his  prospects  in  life,  and  he  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  only  means  left  him  was  a  dis- 


1 68  Asmodcus  in  New -York. 

solution  of  the  matrimonial  bonds.  But,  in  the  State  of 
New- York,  adultery  of  either  party  after  marriage  is  the 
sole  cause  for  which  an  absolute  divorce  can  be  granted. 
To  obtain  this  divorce,  Edward  Ronfort  would  in  conse- 
quence be  compelled  to  divulge  a  tale  of  shame  and 
misery ;  the  names  of  two  respectable  families  would 
be  dishonored ;  and  again,  two  innocent  children,  issue 
of  his  marriage  with  Helena,  would  be  involved  in 
lasting  disgrace,  and  some  day,  perhaps,  reproach  their 
father  for  his  revenge.  Besides,  Edward's  mother  was 
constantly  imploring  him  to  cover  this  awful  secret  by 
silence  and  forgiveness,  and  Helena's  father  earnestly 
joined  in  these  entreaties.  He  appealed  to  Edward  Ron- 
fort's  clemency,  not  only  for  the  sake  of  his  innocent  chil- 
dren, but  for  the  reputation  of  their  name.  Could  he  be 
so  inconsiderate  as  to  make  known  to  the  world  that  the 
best  American  families  are  not  free  from  immorality ;  that 
corruption  even  invades  the  wealthiest  classes  of  society ; 
that  in  fine,  the  Old  World  does  not  monopolize  domestic 
scandals  ?  Certainly,  were  he  so  rash  as  not  to  sacrifice  a 
personal  grief  to  the  general  interests  of  society,  Edward 
Ronfort  would  prove  himself  a  bad  citizen,  and  deserve 
public  scorn ! 

These,  and  many  similar  reasons,  were  duly  weighed  by 
Edward  ;  but,  admitting  their  importance,  he  could  see  no 
means  other  than  a  divorce  to  extricate  himself  from  the 
dilemma  into  which  his  wife's  unfaithfulness  had  involved 
him.  If  the  solution  afforded  by  a  divorce  was  set  aside, 
what  else  could  be  done  ?  He  had  to  take  back  to  his 
bosom  a  dishonored  wife  !  At  this  suggestion,  timidly 
made  by  his  father-in-law,  Edward  Ronfort  boiled  with 
rage.  Still,  he  could  not  fail  to  perceive  that,  to  put  a 
stop  to  the  comments  and  surmises  of  the  public,  and 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  169 

prevent  the  ventilation  of  this  terrible  secret,  Helena  had 
to  leave  her  father's  house  and  return  to  her  husband. 
Though  he  could  not  bear  the  idea  of  having  his  children 
brought  up  by  an  unworthy  mother,  Edward  was' compelled 
to  admit  he  had  either  to  take  her  back  at  once,  or 
apply  to  the  New- York  courts  for  an  absolute  divorce — 
that  is,  to  commence  a  law-suit  that  would  bring  in  its 
train  unparalleled  scandal.  In  this  perplexing  extremity, 
Edward  Ronfort  determined  upon  a  savage  course  of 
proceeding,  the  consequences  of  which  might  have  been 
dreadful  for  him  from  man's  justice,  but  which  will  be 
attended,  at  all  events,  by  a  severe  judgment  from  a  higher 
tribunal.  He  made  known  to  his  father-in-law  his  readi- 
ness to  take  Helena  back  on  condition  that  she  should 
have  removed,  before  its  coming  to  maturity,  the  fruit  of 
her  criminal  intercourse  with  his  brother.  And  barbarous 
as  was  such  a  condition,  calculated  to  imperil  his  daugh- 
ter's life,  Helena's  father  accepted  it.  Pride  silenced  the 
voice  of  humanity  in  his  heart ! 

"  It  was  for  such  a  purpose  that  Helena,  belonging  to 
one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  respectable  families  in 
New-York,  became  a  temporary  inmate  in  Mrs.  Killer's 
house.  The  latter  practiced  her  homicidal  art  upon 
Edward  Ronfort's  wife,  who  was  thus  led  from  the  crime  of 
adultery  to  that  of  infanticide ;  and,  after  staying  four 
weeks  under  the  abortionist's  roof,  broken  down  with 
shame  and  suffering,  she  was  allowed  to  again  reside  with 
her  husband.  But  the  inhuman  sacrifice,  resorted  to  for 
the  purpose  of  protecting  the  honor  of  two  proud  families, 
did  not  conduce  to  the  wished-for  result.  As  soon  as  (to 
save  appearances  only,  for  they  had  separate  rooms) 
Edward  and  his  wife  again  dwelt  under  the  same  roof,  a 
life  full  of  anger,  hatred,  and  anxiety  commenced  for  them. 


170  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

• 

They  had  agreed  to  meet  each  other  at  meals  only.  Even 
so  brief  an  intercourse  was  more  than  Edward  could  bear. 
He  regarded  as  an  outrage  and  defilement  every  caress 
Helena  bestowed  on  their  children.  Soon  the  hatred  he 
felt  for  his  wife,  Helena  returned  with  interest.  Incon- 
ceivable mystery  of  the  human  heart !  She,  since  he  had 
imposed  upon  her,  with  the  view  of  an  apparent  reconcilia- 
tion, the  dreadful  alternative  she  had  complied  with,  con- 
sidered him  a  murderer,  and  he  had  become  to  her  an 
object  of  abhorrence  and  detestation. 

"  After  one  month  of  such  a  life,  both  became  disgusted 
with  it,  and  they  gave  up  all  further  attempt  to  live  together 
under  the  same  roof.  Helena  returned  to  her  father's 
house,  and  Edward  immediately  commenced  an  action  to 
obtain  an  absolute  divorce.  The  lawsuit  lasted  a  long 
time,  as  is  customary  with  all  lawsuits  in  the  United 
States.  Numberless  witnesses  were  called  by  both  par- 
ties ;  for  three  weeks  the  morning  and  evening  papers 
served  up  to  an  eager  and  curious  public  the  most  disgust- 
ing details  concerning  this  family  scandal.  The  lawyers, 
as  usual,  increased,  by  the  sharpness  and  acrimony  of 
their  attacks,  the  violence  of  the  passions  such  a  law- 
suit was  sure  to  arouse  on  both  sides.  It  had  hardly  com- 
menced before  it  became  a  desperate  contest  between  two 
families,  both  influential  by  their  wealth  and  relations. 
Helena  was  represented  by  her  lawyers  as  a  victim  whose 
virtue  had  been,  during  the  absence  of  her  husband,  vio- 
lently outraged  by  Robert ;  and  they  almost  applauded  as 
an  act  of  heroism  the  bloody  transaction  she  had  submit- 
ted to  at  the  hands  of  Mrs.  Killer. 

"  Most  assuredly,  the  necessity  to  grant  a  divorce  was 
never  more  apparent  than  in  this  case.  Law  should  be 
made  so  clear  in  every  country,  as  to  secure  a  divorce  to 


Asmodcus  in  New -York.  171 

every  husband  who  submits  unequivocal  proofs  of  his 
wife's  adultery.  But  results  of  the  most  astounding  cha- 
racter may  always  be  expected  when  the  solution  of  le- 
gal points,  or  even  plain  facts,  depends  on  the  unanimity 
of  jurors.  His  demand  for  a  dissolution  of  his  matri- 
monial bonds  was  not  granted  to  Edward  Ronfort,  because 
his  wife  succeeded,  either  in  winning  the  sympathy,  or 
bribing  the  conscience,  of  one  of  the  jurymen. 

"  Thus  it  appears  that,  in  the  State  of  New- York,  as  in 
some  countries  of  Europe,  an  honest  man,  after  giving  his 
name  to  a  woman,  does  not  always  succeed  in  taking  it 
back — even  when  he  furnishes  undeniable  proofs  of  his 
wife's  guilty  intercourse  with  a  paramour.  If  a  unani- 
mous verdict  from  jurors  is  not  returned,  the  divorce  is 
not  granted.  The  adulterous  wife  may  continue  to  use 
her  husband's  name  ;  may  bear  children  to  her  paramour, 
and  they  may  also  use  that  very  name;  and,  however 
young  her  husband  may  be,  he  will  be  prevented  from  bring- 
ing up  a  family  of  legitimate  children. 

"  Whatever  be  the  soundness  of  these  comments,  Helena 
Ronfort  has  gone  the  way  invariably  followed  by  women 
who  forget  a  mother's  duty,  and  whose  very  fault  gains  for 
them  an  unwholesome  notoriety.  After  leading,  for  a  time, 
a  retired  life,  she  has  again  shown  herself  to  the  world — 
shaking  off,  as  it  were,  all  remembrance  of  the  past.  You 
may  often  see  her  in  the  Park,  followed  by  many  admirers  ; 
and  her  attendance  at  Mrs.  Killer's  party,  where  her  voice 
and  beauty  created  so  marked  a  sensation,  indicates  that  she 
will  pursue  the  career  of  dissipation  she  has  entered.  She 
will  be  the  belle  of  the  next  season,  will  lead  the  fashion 
in  New- York — in  short,  will  be  one  of  the  '  bright  particu- 
lar stars '  that  attract  the  idle  and  wealthy  in  search  of 
adventures. 


Asmodeus  in  New  -York, 


"  Edward  Ronfort,  the  day  after  meeting  Helena  at  Mrs. 
Killer's,  where  one  of  his  friends  had  induced  him  to  go, 
took  passage,  with  his  children,  for  Texas,  on  board  of  a 
coastwise  steamship.  He  will  stay  there  one  year  ;  after 
which,  according  to  the  laws  of  that  State,  he  will  obtain 
a  divorce,  and  thus  recover  his  freedom  to  marry  again  if 
he  feels  so  disposed." 

"  What  has  become  of  Robert  ?"  I  inquired,  after  As- 
modeus had  ended  this  narrative. 

"  Robert  is  dead  ;  but  he  did  not  die  in  the  manner  he 
desired.  His  life  was  invariably  spared  in  every  battle 
for  the  Union  in  which  he  participated,  though  accomplish- 
ing prodigies  of  valor  and  praying  for  the  enemy's  bullets 
to  end  his  life.  Have  you  not  guessed  that  Robert  is  that 
poor  wretch  we  saw,  a  short  time  ago,  struggling  in  the  last 
agonies  of  delirium  tremens  ?  At  the  restoration  of  peace, 
his  regiment  was  disbanded,  and  he  then  donated  all  his 
fortune  to  benevolent  institutions,  save  only  a  sum  of  mo- 
ney sufficient  to  enable  him  to  commit  suicide  after  the 
American  fashion.  And  he  promptly  carried  his  determi- 
nation to  a  successful  issue,  as  you  have  seen." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  a  suicide  after  the  American 
fashion  ?  " 

"  When  a  merchant  happens  to  fail  in  his  speculations, 
and  despairs  of  ever  again  rising  in  the  world  —  when  a 
husband  or  a  lover,  through  some  unexpected  cause, 
loses  the  object  of  his  love,  they  not  unfrequently  decide 
to  get  rid  of  their  life  ;  and  to  carry  out  their  purpose, 
they  resort  to  drink,  absorbing,  every  day,  a  quantity  of 
either  gin,  whisky,  or  brandy,  according  to  taste.  They 
gradually  increase  the  deadly  beverage  —  some  succeeding 
in  swallowing  as  much  as  one  gallon  a  day  of  the  liquor 
they  have  selected  to  drown  their  thoughts.  They  very 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  173 

soon  fall  into  frequent  fits  of  delirium  tremens,  and  pre- 
dict with  an  astonishing  accuracy  the  day  they  will  be 
through  with  their  job  !  I  can  show  you,  in  my  memo- 
randum-book, the  names  of  one  hundred  and  seventeen 
friends  of  mine,  who  have  gone  out  of  this  world  holding 
the  fatal  cup  in  their  hands  !" 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

IN  WHICH,  "AFTER  "  PITCHING  INTO  "  POLITICIANS,  ENG- 
LISHMEN, AND  INDIANS,  ASMODEUS  RELATES  THE  AD- 
VENTURES OF  BLANCHE  RIVINGSTON. 

|S  Asmodeus  had  remarked  in  the  morning  when 
we  set  out  on  our  rambles,  it  was  election-day. 
The  people,  in  the  exercise  of  their  sovereignty, 
had  to  elect  a  governor  and  a  lieutenant-governor 
of  the  State,  State  representatives  and  legislators  to  the  Fed- 
eral Congress,  Supreme  Court  judges,  a  State  treasurer,  a 
canal  commissioner,  and  many  other  officers,  in  the  differ- 
ent branches  of  public  administration. 

According  to  Asmodeus,  when  the  popular  suffrage  dwin- 
dles down  to  such  an  extent,  instead  of  confining  its  oper- 
ations to  the  election  of  a  few  high  functionaries,  it  is  in  a 
fair  way  to  lose  its  prestige,  to  open  wide  a  door  to  corrup- 
tion, and  finally,  to  degenerate  into  a  farce. 

All  bar-rooms  or  drinking-saloons  were  closed,  as  the 
sovereigns,  in  the  exercise  of  their  right,  must  have  a  clear 
mind  and  full  control  of  themselves.  Hotels  even,  and 
restaurants,  are  not  allowed  to  sell  spirituous  liquors  while 
voting  is  in  progress,  that  is,  from  sunrise  to  sunset.  But, 
as  in  the  course  of  the  day  we  met  many  of  these  sove- 
reigns who  were  somewhat  unsteady  of  gait,  the  con- 
clusion was  forced  upon  us  they  had  found  the  means 


Asmodens  in  New -York.  175 

to  quench  their  thirst  with  a  stronger  beverage  than  the 
water  of  public  fountains.  However,  the  election  was 
progressing  everywhere,  and  with  an  order  most  remark- 
able. In  streets  devoted  to  trade,  and  at  the  wharves  and 
piers  of  the  great  city,  there  was  as  much  bustle  and  activ- 
ity as  on  other  days.  Stations  for  voters  had  been  pro- 
vided, at  short  distances  from  each  other,  in  every  district. 
There,  delegates  from  the  two  parties  contending  for  the 
victory  received  from  voters  slips  of  paper,  on  which  were 
printed  the  names  of  the  candidates,  and  deposited  them 
in  sealed  boxes.  There  was  nowhere  any  appearance  of 
brutal  force.  The  people  would  not  believe  in  their  free- 
dom if  the  military  were  stationed  in  their  midst,  or  any 
functionary  empowered,  either  by  the  Federal  or  State  ad- 
ministration, to  watch  over  the  ballot  The  public  weal 
was  represented  at  each  station  by  a  solitary  policema-n, 
whose  business  it  was  to  see  that  all  liquor-saloons  were 
closed,  and  to  maintain  order. 

The  American  people,  Asmodeus  informed  me,  profess 
such  respect  for  freedom  in  election  matters  that,  during 
voting  hours,  any  force  of  the  regular  army  must  be  re- 
moved from  the  polls  at  a  distance  fixed  by  law.  The 
slightest  suspicion  that  any  brutal  force  has  influenced  the 
votes  of  the  people  on  election-day,  would  suffice  to  annul 
the  results  of  the  ballot.  The  Federal  and  State  consti- 
tutions determine  the  time  when  the  election  for  president 
and  vice-president  of  the  United  States,  and  also  for  mem- 
bers of  Congress,  must  be  held.  The  day  for  the  election 
of  State  governors,  members  of  local  legislatures,  and  of 
the  many  functionaries  who  derive  their  power  direct  from 
the  people,  is  also  determined  by  the  State  constitutions. 
In  that  way,  every  person  knows  the  day  when  he  has  to 
assemble  to  exercise  his  elective  franchise.  Thus,  no  false 


176  Asmodeus  in  New -York, 

manoeuvres,  no  party  intrigues,  can  deprive  the  Americans 
from  enjoying  the  right  to  vote — no  previous  notice  being 
necessary  to  summon  them  to  the  polls. 

The  voters  repaired  to  the  ballot-boxes,  either  singly  or 
in  groups.  The  latter  were  manifestly  under  the  control 
of  a  few  leaders ;  and  Asmodeus  surmised  that  many  of 
these  sovereigns  had  received  beforehand  the  price  of 
their  vote. 

After  all,  the  sight  of  an  American  election  might  be 
favorably  contrasted  with  that  offered,  under  similar  cir- 
cumstances, by  European  populations.  No  singing  nor 
shouting  could  be  heard  ;  no  disturbance  of  any  sort  could 
be  seen.  The  day  before,  processions,  formed  of  thou- 
sands of  persons,  belonging  to  political  organizations,  car- 
rying banners  on  which  were  inscribed  divers  appropriate 
mottoes,  marched  through  the  streets  ;  bands  of  music 
were  heard  everywhere  ;  and  in  every  electoral  district 
meetings  were  holden  in  the  open  air.  On  the  previous 
night  even,  long  political  processions  passed  through  the 
streets,  and,  with  their  numberless  Chinese  lanterns  and 
transparencies,  resembled  monstrous  fiery  serpents.  Now 
the  hour  for  voting  had  come,  all  speech-making  was  over  ; 
no  band  of  music  could  be  heard ;  every  American  was 
seriously  discharging  a  duty,  the  responsibility  of  which 
he  seemed  thoroughly  to  understand. 

"  All  that  is  very  fine,"  said  Asmodeus  ;  "  it  is  a  pretty 
sight,  and  would  be  a  magnificent  triumph  of  popular  sov- 
ereignty, in  its  most  important  manifestation,  were  not 
many  of  the  electors  mere  tools  in  the  hands  of  intriguers, 
who  make  a  trade  of  politics  ;  and  were  not  the  ballots 
manipulated  beforehand  by  conventions  or  assemblies, 
which  contrive  to  nominate  candidates  seldom  known  to 
the  mass  of  voters,  but  with  whom  delegates  to  those  as- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  177 

semblies  or  conventions  have  bargained  beforehand  for 
their  personal  advancement. 

"  As  the  rotation  system  is  strictly  adhered  to,  after 
each  election — that  is,  as  clerks  and  other  employees,  in 
every  branch  of  public  administration,  are  discharged,  to 
make  room  for  friends  and  partisans  of  elected  candidates 
— delegates  to  conventions  obtain,  as  a  reward  for  their  ser- 
vices, all  the  offices  to  be  vacated,  and  which  themselves 
or  friends  will,  in  their  turn,  occupy.  The  voice  of  the 
people,  thus  caught  in  the  toils  of  corruption,  is  not  really 
heard.  It  is  stifled  in  eight  cases  out  of  ten. 

"  As  regards,  for  instance,  the  presidential  election,  if 
the  United  States,  since  President  Jackson,  and  excepting 
the  lamented  Lincoln,  have  had  for  first  magistrates  men 
whose  minds  were  not  above  the  common  level,  the  result 
is  attributable  to  the  system  of  preliminary  conventions. 
Candidates  to  the  presidential  chair  are  obliged  to  accept 
beforehand  all  the  greedy  stipulations  of  delegates  to  those 
conventions  ;  and  also  a  series  of  principles,  either  good  or 
bad,  embodied  in  a  programme,  called,  in  American  par- 
lance, a  platform.  What  man,  endowed  with  real  talent 
and  possessing  self-respect,  would  consent  to  be  stretched 
on  such  a  Procrustean  bed  ?  It  does  not  often  happen  that 
the  people  are  ruled  by  men  of  real  genius  ;  still,  as  long  as 
American  democracy  was  faithful  to  the  principle  of  abso- 
lute freedom  in  selecting  representatives,  and  scorned  the 
dictates  of  conventions,  presidents  proved  to  be  men  of  su- 
perior attainments  ;  such  as,  for  instance,  Jefferson,  the 
two  Adamses,  Madison,  and  Monroe.  Now  we  see,  led 
and  controlled  in  their  choice  by  envious  partisans  or  cor- 
rupt political  organizations,  the  American  people  intrusting 
the  first  office  in  their  gift  to  men  comparatively  unknown 
and  of  ordinary  talent." 


178  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

While  Asmodeus  was  discoursing  in  this  strain  concern- 
ing the  institutions  of  the  United  States,  and  I  was  con- 
templating the  people  in  the  exercise  of  their  sovereignty, 
two  groups  of  pedestrians  attracted  my  attention.  In 
front  of  us  walked  half  a  dozen  young  men ;  and  their 
dress  was  so  different  from  that  of  other  persons  I  had 
met  in  New- York,  it  was  impossible  not  to  notice  it.  They 
wore  hats  of  every  conceivable  shape  and  description — 
square,  round,  and  sharp-pointed,  white,  blue,  and  yellow, 
and  so  dirty  and  worn  out,  one  would  have  thought  they 
had  been  trampled  upon  before  turned  to  their  present  use. 
The  trowsers  of  these  men  were  made  of  deer-skin,  or 
some  thick  yellow  stuff,  and  half-hidden  by  riding-boots. 
Their  coats  were  conspicuous  for  their  varied  and  gro- 
tesque shapes — some  being  very  short,  without  tails  ; 
while,  with  others,  that  appendage  was  immeasurably 
long,  after  the  French  fashion  under  the  Directory.  I 
asked  Asmodeus  what  this  masquerade  meant.  "It  is 
not  a  masquerade,"  said  he,  "  in  the  opinion,  at  least,  of 
those  travelers — for  such  are  the  men  who  are  walking  by 
us.  They  belong  to  the  most  aristocratic  families  of  old 
England.  Perhaps  you  are  not  aware  that  Englishmen, 
when  traveling  through  the  United  States,  do  not  take  the 
trouble  to  dress  decently,  as  the  American  democracy, 
they  imagine,  does  not  deserve  it.  As  for  their  riding- 
boots,  they  are  intended  to  protect  their  owners'  legs 
against  the  bite  of  rattlesnakes.  Englishmen  firmly  be- 
lieve every  thing  written  on  the  United  States  by  their 
countrymen  ;  and  as  a  few  writers  have  seriously  affirmed 
that  rattlesnakes  are  plentiful  in  New- York,  these  young 
men  have  provided  themselves  against  the  danger  of  stumb- 
ling upon  one  of  those  reptiles. 

"  Montesquieu,  a  shrewd  observer,  remarked,  more  than 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  179 

a  century  ago,  that  very  few  Englishmen  could  be  found  in 
his  time,  whose  minds  were  not  slightly  deranged  ;  and 
from  the  demeanor  of  those  dust-covered  sons  of  Albion, 
I  apprehend  there  is  no  remedying  the  mental  condition  of 
Englishmen  when  abroad." 

The  other  group  of  pedestrians  was  followed  by  a  few 
children,   who   regarded   the   strangers   with    feelings   of 
curiosity,  not  unmingled  with  fear.      Their  majestic  coun- 
tenances and   fantastical  costumes  unmistakably  showed 
them  to  be  the  representatives  and  the  remnants  of  that 
race  which,  when  the  Dutch  and  English  settled  in  America, 
was  the  possessor  of  the  immense  country  over  which  now 
floats  the  star-spangled  banner.      The  Indians,  who,  in  a 
somewhat  gloomy  mood,  thus  perambulated  the  streets  of 
New- York,  were  on  their  way  back  to  the  Far  West,  after 
visiting,  at  Washington,  the  Father  of  the  Indians,  as  they 
call    the    President    of    the   United    States.      Tall   and 
straight  as  arrows,  and  shod  with  moccasins — that  is,  a  sort 
of  covering  for  the  feet,  made  of  deer-skin,  without  a  sole, 
and  highly  ornamented  on   the   upper   side — some  wore 
small  round  hats,  while  the  long  black  hair  of  others  was 
braided  and  adorned  with  eagles'  feathers,  or  those  of  some 
less  illustrious  birds.     Some  of  their  faces  were  painted 
red,  yellow,   and   blue  ;   and   they   had   evidently   taken 
much  pains  to  disfigure  what,  in  our  pride,  we  fancy  to  be 
the  finest  part  of  man.     I  did  not  perceive,  hanging  at 
their   sides,   the   traditional  tomahawk.     Most   of  these 
Indians  were  wrapped  in  blankets,  and  smoked  tobacco — 
not  in  the  calumet  spoken  of  by  novelists,  but  in  a  com- 
mon pipe,  the  bowl  of  which  was  made  of  a  corn-cob,  and 
the  tube  of  a  long  reed.     I  must  add,  as  a  conscientious 
historian,  that,  if  the  children  following  them  looked  some- 
what afraid  of  these  inhabitants  of  the  western  wilds,  the 


i  So  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

Indians,  on  their  side,  appeared  quite  as  uneasy  among  a 
crowd  of  pale  faces,  though  every  body  seemed  to  express 
much  sympathy  for  them. 

"  Here  are  the  Red  Skins,"  said  I  to  Asmodeus  ;  "here 
pass  before  us  those  sons  of  the  forest,  whose  deeds  have 
been  woven  into  the  verse  and  prose  of  poets  and  novel- 
ists." 

"  Alas  !  you  are  right,"  replied  my  companion  ;  "  here 
are  the  descendants  of  those  warriors  whom  James  Feni- 
more  Cooper  loved  to  portray,  and  whose  romantic  names 
are  familiar  to  every  body.  Cooper's  heroes  in  reality  had 
no  more  attractions  than  the  dusky  specimens  of  man- 
kind we  now  behold.  Perhaps  they  were  a  little  more 
ferocious  and  wild,  which  enhances  all  the  more  the 
American  novelist's  works. 

"Fortunately,  civilization  proceeds  with  the  different 
races  of  men  as  culture  does  with  plants  ;  culture  im- 
proves the  latter  by  rejecting  and  destroying  those  of  an 
inferior  quality ;  and  civilization,  in  its  ever-advancing 
march,  crushes  out  all  races  unwilling  to  be  improved ; 
and  generation  after  generation  of  strong  and  progressive 
men  comes  forward  to  till  the  land  and  turn  to  usefulness 
the  solitudes  in  which  ferocious  beasts,  and  men  no  less 
ferocious,  lived  up  to  that  time," 

Asmodeus  was  just  concluding  this  severe  sentence, 
when  the  chief  of  the  Indian  warriors  drew  near  my  com- 
panion and  saluted  him,  after  the  Indian  fashion — that  is, 
by  putting  his  right  hand  on  his  breast.  Asmodeus  uttered 
a  few  words  in  the  Indian  dialect,  and  on  the  chiefs 
nodding,  he  took  him,  with  the  other  warriors,  to  a  restau- 
rant near  by.  Refreshments  were  at  once  ordered,  which 
the  Red  Men  seemed  to  highly  appreciate.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  their  chief,  none  of  them  could  speak  English. 


Asmodens  in  New -York.  181 

"  Thousands  and  thousands  of  moons  have  vanished," 
said  he,  after  indulging  in  the  good  things  ordered  by 
Asmodeus,  "since  three  children  of  the  Great  Spirit,  in 
pursuit  of  game,  came  in  sight  of  a  large  river.  On  the 
opposite  bank,  they  perceived  an  enchanter,  who  beckoned 
them  to  come  over,  showing  them  several  gifts  lying  at  his 
feet.  One  of  the  Great  Spirit's  sons,  without  hesitation, 
threw  himself  into  the  stream,  and  swam  rapidly  over. 
The  second  imitated  the  undaunted  swimmer ;  but  only 
after  seeing  him  reach  the  middle  of  the  river  in  safety. 
The  third  waited  before  throwing  himself  into  the  water, 
until  he  saw  his  two  brothers  safely  standing  by  the  en- 
chanter. The  stream  had  gradually  become  more  and 
more  turbid  by  the  exertions  of  each  of  the  swimmers  ; 
and  when  the  three,  standing  together  on  the  opposite 
shore,  shook  the  water  from  their  bodies,  they  saw  with 
astonishment  that,  while  the  skin  of  the  first  swimmer  was 
as  white  as  before,  that  of  the  second  had  become  red,  or 
of  a  copper  color,  and  that  of  the  third  black  as  ebony. 

" '  Here  are  the  gifts  I  promised  you,'  then  spoke  the 
enchanter ;  '  take  your  choice.' 

"  The  white  man  picked  up  a  small  package  pointed  out 
to  him.  In  it  were  paper,  pens,  and  ink — that  is,  intellec- 
tual power  and  supremacy  over  material  creation.  The 
red  man  discovered  in  his  package  a  bow  and  arrows. 
The  black  man,  when  he  opened  the  package  allotted  to 
him,  found  agricultural  implements. 

"  During  hundreds  and  hundreds  of  years,"  the  chief 
continued,  "  my  kinsmen  have  used  bows  and  arrows  ; 
they  were  forbidden  to  make  use  of  the  other  gifts  dis- 
pensed by  the  enchanter.  To-day,  our  arrows  have  grown 
blunt,  and  the  strength  which  used  so  easily  to  bend  our 
bows  is  fast  decaying.  Buffaloes  and  deer,  startled  by  the 


1 82  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

screaming  of  your  fire-horses,  run  away  toward  the  frozen 
regions,  and  ourselves  are  slowly  following  them,  marking 
the  track  with  our  bones.  The  Great  Spirit,  however,  does 
not  forsake  his  children.  He  has  promised  to  give  them, 
in  the  next  life,  more  lovely  forests  than  those  our  fore- 
fathers possessed,  and  hunting-grounds  ever  replete  with 
antelopes  and  buffaloes  ;  and  thus  we  rejoice  to  die." 

We  now  separated  from  the  Indians,  and  were  moved  to 
pity  at  the  last  words  of  their  chief.  But  we  had  hardly 
advanced  a  few  steps,  when  we  observed  two  men  carrying 
away  in  their  arms,  a  young  lady,  and,  in  spite  of  her 
screams,  shut  her  up  in  a  carriage  that  was  waiting  for 
them.  A  crowd  congregated  in  an  instant — seemingly 
disposed  to  take  the  part  of  the  lady;  when  one, of  the 
two  men,  speaking  from  the  carriage-window,  exclaimed  : 

"  Gentlemen,  this  lady  has  escaped  from  an  insane  asy- 
lum, and  we  are  taking  her  back.  Make  room  if  you 
please." 

Every  body  immediately  moved  off,  seemingly  satisfied 
with  this  explanation  ;  and  the  carriage  was  rapidly  driven 
toward  the  upper  part  of  the  city. 

"  Contradictions  abound  in  the  American  character," 
said  Asmodeus  ;  "  individual  liberty  is  held  in  the  greatest 
respect ;  the  Federal  Constitution  itself  provides  that  the 
habeas  corpus  shall  not  be  suspended  unless,  in  case  of 
rebellion  or  invasion,  the  public  safety  may  require  it. 
Nearly  all  the  State  constitutions  contain  a  similar  safe- 
guard ;  and  the  dogma  concerning  the  inviolability  of  in- 
dividual liberty  has  been  so  well  respected  at  all  times, 
that  the  history  of  the  Union  presents  very  few  cases  in- 
deed of  arbitrary  arrests.  Even  evil-doers  often  escape 
deserved  punishment,  because  the  police  are  afraid  to  en- 
croach on  the  law,  and  thus  incur  a  fearful  responsibility^ 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  183 

by  arresting  them.  Notwithstanding  all  this,  there  is  in 
that  carriage,  driven  as  fast  as  two  strong  horses  can  go,  a 
victim  of  arbitrary  arrest.  Three  words — '  she  is  insane' — 
have  sufficed  to  quiet  the  crowd,  to  satisfy  the  minds  of 
those  republicans,  so  proud  of  the  prerogatives  attached  to 
the  habeas  corpus.  Those  same  words,  written  on  a  physi- 
cian's certificate,  had  previously  been  sufficient  to  cause 
that  unfortunate  lady  to  be  imprisoned  in  a  madhouse." 

"  But  is  she  not  really  insane  ?  and  has  the  crowd  been 
imposed  upon  ?" 

"  As  a  general  rule  none  of  us  is  sure  of  possessing  a 
sound  mind  ;  but  I  am  satisfied  that  the  lady  you  allude 
to  is  possessed,  to  an  ordinary  degree,  of  that  attribute 
which,  according  to  benevolent  philosophers,  distinguishes 
our  species  from  that  of  monkeys  and  other  four-footed 
animals." 

"  Then  why  is  she  thus  hurried  away  to  an  insane  asy- 
lum ?" 

"  Ah  !  you  believe,  because  men  are  ruled  by  republican 
institutions,  instead  of  living  under  the  sway  of  a  king, 
they  are  not  subjected  to  evil  passions,  such  as  pride, 
covetousness,  revenge  !  An  act  of  a  domestic  drama  has 
just  been  enacted  in  our  presence,  I  assure  you,  because 
I  am  conversant  with  the  facts." 

"  Then  why  did  you  not  at  once  disclose  the  facts  of 
this  shocking  violence,  since  you  are  acquainted  with  the 
circumstances  of  the  case  ?" 

"  Sir,  one  day  I  was  good-natured  enough  to  interfere 
between  two  furious  fellows,  who  were  tearing  each  other 
in  a  fearful  manner.  Well,  what  happened  ?  They  at 
once  assailed  me  and  broke  my  leg — an  accident  of  small 
import,  you  may  perhaps  think,  but  which  left  with  me  a 
very  stubborn  and  troublesome  reminder  of  the  circum- 


184  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

stance.  From  that  time,  I  gave  up  all  Quixotic  redresses, 
and  let  mankind  settle  its  own  quarrels.  But  I  observe 
the  time  has  not  yet  come  to  go  to  the  club  where  I  pro- 
pose to  take  you ;  so  we  will  visit  the  asylum  in  which  the 
young  lady,  in  whom  you  seem  interested,  has  been  con- 
fined. You  will  be  at  liberty,  I  suppose,  to  see  her — even 
to  try  and  liberate  her,  if  you  wish  to  constitute  yourself 
her  knight,  after  hearing  her  adventures. 

BLANCHE  RIVINGSTON'S  HISTORY. 

"  BLANCHE  RIVINGSTON'S  father  is  a  Mississippi  planter. 
The  pride  of  Southern  families  before  the  civil  war  was  some- 
thing that  exceeded  all  belief.  According  to  their  idea, 
mankind  is  divided  into  three  categories  :  first,  the  aristoc- 
racy, which  embraces  the  crowned  heads  and  nobility  of 
Europe  and  the  chivalry  of  the  Southern  States ;  second, 
the  working-class,  to  which  belong  the  operatives  in 
Europe  and  the  whole  population  of  the  Northern  States 
of  the  Union  ;  and  third,  the  negroes.  I  will  not  warrant 
that  such  and  similar  notions  have  become  obsolete  since 
the  severe  trials  the  Southern  States  have  undergone. 

"At  the  time  slavery  existed,  Blanche's  father  owned 
many  slaves,  and  enjoyed  a  princely  income.  His  daugh- 
ter was  reared  in  luxury,  while  his  sons  grew  up  with  the 
idea  that  they  were  far  removed  from  social  laws,  and  that 
the  type  or  model  of  a  gentleman  is  a  man  who  does  not 
do  any  thing.  This  absurd  conceit  prevailed  to  a  great 
extent  among  Southerners  at  the  period  I  speak  of,  and 
brutal  force  was  the  only  power  they  acknowledged. 

"At  eighteen  years  of  age,  Blanche  married  a  Louisiana 
planter,  and  during  several  years  no  misfortune  disturbed 
their  happiness.  But  three  years  ago,  she  was  afflicted 
with  a  very  troublesome  if  not  dangerous  disease — deaf- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  185 

ness,  and  all  the  country  physicians  she  applied  to 
failed  to  cure  her.  Mr.  Dalton  (such  is  the  name  of  her 
husband)  then  decided  to  take  her  to  New- York.  But 
the  physicians  of  this  city  also  failed  to  relieve  the  lady, 
and  finally  gave  it  as  their  opinion  that  the  European 
climate,  with  the  aid  of  Parisian  doctors,  might  restore  her 
to  health.  In  conformity  with  this  advice,  Mr.  Dalton  and 
his  wife  determined  to  spend  a  few  months,  perhaps  years, 
in  the  gay  capital  of  France  ;  and  so  sailed  for  Europe. 

"  They  had  resided  three  months  in  Paris,  and  Blanche 
was  under  the  care  of  a  medical  celebrity,  when  Mr.  Dalton 
received  from  an  agent  he  had  left  in  Louisiana  a  letter, 
the  contents  of  which  were  such  as  to  necessitate  his 
immediate  return  to  the  United  States.  After  renting  a 
furnished  apartment  for  his  wife  in  the  St.  Germain  suburb, 
he  took  his  departure,  promising  to  promptly  settle  his 
business  and  immediately  return  to  France. 

"At  this  time  Blanche's  health  had  improved  rapidly, 
and  her  deafness  was  fast  disappearing.  The  attending 
physician  had  assured  her  that  no  trace  of  it  would  be  left 
in  a-  year's  time,  provided  she  continued  to  follow  the 
treatment  he  had  prescribed.  Under  these  circumstances, 
Mr.  Dalton  could  not  think  of  taking  his  wife  with  him, 
as  by  so  doing  he  would  compromise  the  good  results 
already  obtained ;  and  though  deeply  affected  at  their 
separation,  they  were  compelled  to  submit  to  this  dire 
necessity. 

"For  several  weeks  Mrs.  Dalton  shut  herself  up  in  her 
apartment,  receiving  no  other  visitor  than  the  physician 
who  attended  her.  The  doctor,  a  medical  celebrity,  as 
I  have  said,  and  withal  a  kind  and  honest  man,  considered 
it  his  duty  to  increase  his  attendance  on  Blanche  during 
her  husband's  absence.  In  consequence,  as  he  was  unable 


1 86  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

to  see  her  every  day,  most  of  his  time  being  absorbed  by 
other  patients,  or  by  lectures  at  the  medical  college,  he 
determined,  when  thus  prevented  himself,  to  send  a  young 
graduate  to  visit  Mrs.  Dalton ;  and  it  so  happened  that 
this  well-meant  attention  proved  decidedly  detrimental  to 
Blanche's  happiness.  This  young  graduate  had  come  to 
Paris  several  years  before,  to  complete  his  medical  studies. 
He  was  an  American  by  birth,  and  had  been  selected, 
among  other  graduates  and  former  pupils  of  the  physician, 
because  he  was  a  countryman  of  Mrs.  Dalton.  But  Lewis 
Gambler  (the  name  of  this  graduate)  saw  in  the  trust 
confided  to  him  but  an  occasion  to  gratify  his  evil  passions. 

"  The  Roman  "Catholic  priest  enjoys,  from  his  confes- 
sional, an  influence  often  unrivaled  over  weak  minds  ;  but 
it  may  be  affirmed  a  physician  exerts  a  more  dangerous 
one  over  his  patients,  permitted,  as  he  is,  to  enter  their 
chambers  at  every  hour  of  the  day  and  night.  In  remote 
times  old  men  only  had  the  privilege  to  practice  medicine. 
It  was  denied  to  young  men  ;  and  such  prohibition  demon- 
strates that  the  ancients  were  perhaps  better  acquainted 
with  the  human  heart  than  the  moderns.  Even  admitting 
a  young  physician  is  sincerely  devoted  to  his  profession 
and  thoroughly  conversant  with  its  duties,  still  he  will 
sometimes  find  himself  in  most  critical  positions,  such  as 
may  make  him  forget,  for  the  time,  his  love  of  science 
and  honesty.  The  physician  will  disappear ;  the  man  alone 
will  remain,  with  his  passions,  and  unable  to  control  them. 
Now,  if  a  medical  practitioner  be  a  corrupt  man,  a  liber- 
tine, the  happiness  of  many  a  family  is,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  in  his  hands. 

"The  freedom  allowed  to  the  disciples  of  Esculapius,  in 
virtue  of  the  real  or  supposed  exigencies  of  their  profes- 
sion, has  brought,  and  brings  every  day,  many  a  virtuous 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  187 

woman  to  ruin.  In  such  a  way  Blanche  gradually,  and 
quite  unconsciously,  was  led  to  forget  her  duties  to  her 
husband  and  to  herself.  As  her  physician  and  country- 
man, Lewis  Gambler  was  doubly  entitled  to  her  confi- 
dence. No  sooner  had  he  obtained  the  charge  of  visiting 
her  in  his  medical  capacity,  than  he  began  to  display  arti- 
fice after  artifice  to  seduce  her.  And  Blanche  fell,  and  was 
not  slow  to  perceive  to  what  a  depth  of  shame  and  misery. 

"  There  are  discreet  men  who  scorn  to  abuse  the  love 
they  have  inspired,  to  compromise  the  reputation  of 
their  paramours ;  who  do  not  hesitate  to  give  up  all  the 
claims  of  a  lover  when  they  discover  that  they  please  no 
longer,  or  that  their  presence  might  endanger  the  objects 
of  their  love.  Such  was  not  Gambler  ;  he  became  a  tyran- 
nic master  over  Blanche,  and  a  life  of  indescribable  suffer- 
ing commenced  for  his  victim  as  soon  as  he  had  conquered 
her  resistance  to  his  lust 

"Lewis  Gambler  was  addicted  to  a  vice  which  soon 
extinguishes  all  generous  feelings  in  the  human  heart ;  he 
was  passionately  fond  of  games  of  chance.  Now,  accord- 
ing to  an  English  philosopher,  gamblers  are  the  worst 
species  among  the  class  called  lovers.  They  sacrifice  all 
to  the  gaming-table  ;  the  latter  absorbs  every  thought  of 
their  mind,  every  feeling  of  their  heart — in  short,  entirely 
possesses  them.  Gambler's  passion  for  gambling  suffered 
no  abatement  from  his  intrigue  with  Mrs.  Dalton.  In  no 
instance  could  the  entreaties  of  the  latter  retain  him  by 
her  side  in  the  evening  ;  he  would  always  repair  to  some 
gaming-house ;  and  soon  he  borrowed  from  Blanche  dollar 
after  dollar — one  day  under  this  pretense,  and  the  next 
under  that — the  six  thousand  dollars  Mr.  Dalton  had 
deposited,  for  her  use,  with  a  Parisian  banker  before  leav- 
ing for  the  United  States.  With  the  view  to  save  money, 


1 88  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

she  soon  left  the  Saint  Germain  suburb,  and  rented  a 
small  room  in  the  Qiiartier  Latin ;  but  her  trials  had  but 
just  commenced.  One  by  one  her  jewels  and  dresses  were 
stolen  by  Gambler,  and  pawned.  Not  even  her  linen  was 
left  her ;  and  more  than  once  this  daughter  of  a  wealthy 
planter  was  obliged  to  borrow  money  from  some  of  her 
own  countrymen  or  friends  whose  acquaintance  she  had 
made  since  her  residence  in  Paris,  to  prevent  her  dying 
through  starvation. 

"  Mr.  Dalton  had  been  six  months  separated  from  his 
wife,  when  he  was  able,  at  last,  to  leave  the  United  States, 
and  return  to  France.  Astonished  at  the  state  of  destitu- 
tion and  distress  in  which  he  found  his  wife,  he  was  never- 
theless unable  to  discover  the  causes  which  had  produced 
it.  Gambler  had  thought  it  advisable  to  cease  for  a  while 
his  visits  to  Blanche,  after  her  husband's  return  ;  and  the 
latter,  happy  by  the  side  of  his  wife,  attributed  to  her 
inexperience  of  life  and  prodigal  habits  the  expenses 
she  had  incurred,  and  the  straitened  circumstances  in 
which  she  had  therefore  found  herself  during  his  absence. 
He  removed  her  to  a  convenient  apartment,  in  a  fashiona- 
ble district,  and  made  every  preparation  to  spend,  in  a  man- 
ner adequate  to  his  standing  in  society  and  fortune,  the  few 
months  yet  to  be  devoted  to  the  complete  cure  of  his  wife. 

"  After  a  while,  Gambler  recommenced  his  visits  to  Mrs. 
Dalton.  At  the  same  time,  and  at  every  opportunity,  he 
always  begged  for  loans.  So  repeated  and  exacting  were 
his  demands  for  money,  that  Blanche  threatened  to  dis- 
close his  obsessions  to  her  husband,  were  she  even  forced, 
by  so  doing,  to  expose  her  shame  to  him.  Gambler  coolly 
listened  to  her,  answering  that  he  knew  too  well  the  human 
heart,  and  consequently  attached  no  importance  to  her 
threats.  He  added  that  if  Mr.  Dalton  ever  became  acquaint- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  189 

ed  with  the  priceless  favors  he  (Gambler)  had  received  at  her 
hands,  it  would  not  be  through  the  agency  of  his  wife,  but 
through  that  of  her  lover.  '  The  day,'  said  he,  in  giving 
her  this  warning,  'you  refuse  to  give  me  money,  I  will 
apply  to  your  husband,  and  get  a  few  thousand  dollars 
from  his  pocket,  by  selling  him  the  letters  you  wrote  me 
during  his  absence.'  When  Gambler  spoke  in  this  threat- 
ening manner,  he  had  already  borrowed  two  thousand  dol- 
lars since  the  return  of  Mr.  Dalton — that  is,  within  two 
months ;  and,  though  liberal  with  his  wife,  and  fondly  lov- 
ing her,  Mr.  Dalton  could  hardly  believe  she  spent  for 
charitable  purposes  the  large  sums  of  money  he  was  con- 
stantly asked  for. 

"  One  day,  Blanche  begged  her  husband  so  earnestly  to 
shorten  their  stay  in  France,  and  to  return  to  the  United 
States,  that  Mr.  Dalton  could  not  resist  her  entreaty. 
Blanche  asserted  that  her  deafness  had  nearly  disappeared ; 
she  felt,  she  said,  that  the  old  life  on  the  plantation  would 
completely  restore  her  health,  while,  far  from  America,  it 
was  fast  dwindling  away  ;  and  the  fact  is,  Gambler's  re- 
peated obsessions  and  the  anguish  that  filled  her  mind  had 
commenced  to  tell  on  her  health.  Her  nights  were  sleep- 
less, her  cheerfulness  was  gone,  and  her  beauty  rapidly 
fading.  She  somewhat  recovered  her  wonted  gayety  when 
her  husband  told  her,  one  day,  to  pack  up  her  things,  and 
prepare  to  leave  the  French  capital.  According  to  her 
desire,  he  had  paid  for  their  passage  on  board  of  an  Eng- 
lish steamer  which  would  leave  in  four  weeks  for  America. 
But  as  Mr.  Dalton  had  some  business  to  transact  in  Eng- 
land, they  left  Paris  a  few  days  after  this  welcome  news  to 
Blanche.  They  spent  three  weeks  in  London  ;  after  which 
they  went  to  Liverpool. 

"  At  last  Blanche  embarked  on  board  the  English  steam- 


190  Asmodetis  in  New -York. 

er,  hoping  in  her  heart  she  would  never  see  Gambler 
again.  The  steamer  left  her  dock  ;  Blanche  mingled  with 
the  passengers  on  the  deck,  and  the  very  first  person  she 
saw  was  her  tormentor.  Horror-struck,  she  vainly  tried  to 
conceal  her  emotions  from  her  husband ;  she  trembled 
from  head  to  foot ;  and  though  he  did  not  understand  the 
cause  of  the  aversion  Gambler  inspired  in  his  wife,  when 
he  bowed  to  the  former,  Mr.  Dalton  informed  him  that  his 
medical  attendance  would  not  be  required  on  their  way  to 
America.  Gambler,  however,  while  Mr.  Dalton  was  in  the 
smoking-room,  or  walking  on  deck,  several  times  availed 
himself  of  the  opportunity  to  speak  to  Blanche.  When 
that  opportunity  failed  him,  he  sent  her  notes  through  a 
servant ;  and  it  was  always  the  same  thing  he  demanded 
from  her  —  money  to  gratify  his  passion  for  gambling. 
Gambling,  in  fact,  was  carried  on  among  the  passengers, 
to  render  the  trip  less  tedious  ;  and  ill-luck  persistently 
marred  Gambler's  expectations.  After  a  few  days,  poor 
Blanche  had  given  him  her  last  dollar  —  though  her  hus- 
band had  filled  her  portemonnaie  with  gold  and  bank-bills. 
Before  even  the  shores  of  America  were  reached,  the  unfor- 
tunate woman  had  been  driven  to  rob  her  husband.  While 
Mr.  Dalton  was  asleep,  she  took  from  his  pocket-book  two 
hundred  dollars,  which  she  handed  to  Gambler,  who  was 
anxiously  waiting  for  them. 

"  At  last  they  arrived  at  New- York ;  and  Blanche,  hoping 
her  husband  would  take  her  at  once  to  the  South,  fancied 
she  was  now  secure.  But  her  hope  was  again  deceived. 
Her  father  and  two  of  her  brothers  had  just  arrived  in 
New-York.  It  was  the  summer  season,  and  her  relatives, 
as  is  usual  with  wealthy  Southerners,  had  come  to  the 
North  on  a  visit.  At  their  request,  Blanche  and  her  hus- 
band decided  to  stay  a  week  with  them.  So  they  stopped 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  191 

at  the  same  hotel  as  Mr.  Rivingston  and  his  sons.  Sur- 
rounded by  her  father  and  brothers,  Blanche  believed  she 
was  released  from  any  further  importunities  from  Gam- 
bler. She  was  well  aware  he  would  have  no  difficulty  in 
discovering  her  stopping-place,  but  she  thought  he  would 
not  be  bold  enough  to  try  to  see  her  again.  But  she  did 
not  yet  know  that  heartless  villain.  Gambler,  a  few  hours 
after  landing,  hastened  to  a  gaming-house,  and,  as  usual, 
met  with  ill-luck.  Two  days  after,  Blanche  became  satis- 
fied she  was  not  liberated  from  her  tormentor ;  she  saw 
him  in  the  parlors  of  the  hotel,  and  learned  he  was  actually 
stopping  there.  Several  times  he  tried  to  speak  to  her, 
and  his  attempts  having  proved  fruitless,  he  sent  her  a 
note,  in  which  he  asked  for  an  interview.  No  answer 
being  given,  another  was  handed  to  Blanche,  the  next  day, 
by  one  of  the  waiters.  In  it,  the  poor  woman  was  coolly 
informed  that  in  case  she  did  not  send  five  hundred  dol- 
lars be/ore  night,  Gambler  would  come  himself  for  it,  at 
the  risk  of  meeting  Mr.  Dalton.  In  this  extremity  Blanche 
came  to  a  desperate  determination.  Gambler  had  been 
the  recipient,  on  board  the  steamer,  up  to  the  last  dollar, 
of  all  the  money  her  husband  had  given  her,  previous  to 
their  leaving  England  ;  and  she  could  not  think  of  bor- 
rowing five  hundred  dollars  from  either  her  father  or 
brothers,  lest  they  should  reproach  her  husband  for  his 
parsimony  toward  his  wife.  To  ask  her  husband  for  mo- 
ney was  out  of  the  question  ;  for  she  would  have  been 
obliged  to  confess  she  had  already  squandered  the  impor- 
tant sum  she  had  received  from  him  a  few  days  previous ; 
and  withal  she  could  not  think  without  terror  and  remorse 
of  the  two  hundred  dollars  she  had  taken  from  his  porte- 
monnaie  during  their  passage  to  America.  She  finally  de- 
cided to  beg  the  youngest  of  her  brothers  to  remain  by 


192  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

her  side  all  that  day  ;  and,  opening  to  him  her  heart,  she 
told  him  of  the  indignities  she  had  been  subjected  to  from 
one  of  the  physicians  who  had  attended  her,  and  who  had 
followed  her  to  America,  and  that  her  own  happiness  and 
that  of  her  family  required,  at  once,  a  stop  to  be  put  to  his 
degrading  importunities. 

"  After  dinner,  Mr.  Rivingston,  his  oldest  son,  and  Mr. 
Dal  ton  went  to  the  theatre.  Blanche,  under  pretense,  of 
indisposition,  had  declined  to  be  one  of  their  party,  and 
her  young  brother  declared  he  would  keep  her  company. 
Shortly  after,  Gambler  knocked  at  the  door  of  Blanche's 
room.  Young  Rivingston  was  ready  for  him.  He  dryly 
informed  him  his  sister  was  not  at  home  to  any  body,  and 
especially  to  her  late  physician,  Lewis  Gambler.  Exaspe- 
rated, and  threatening  revenge,  Gambler  withdrew,  and, 
unluckily  for  Blanche,  he  was  true  to  his  threat. 

When  Mr.  Dalton  returned  from  the  theatre,  a  waiter 
handed  him  a  letter  from  Gambler,  in  which  was  inclosed 
a  few  lines  to  him  (Gambler)  in  the  handwriting  of  Blanche 
— lines  that  left  no  doubt  as  to  the  intimate  character  of 
the  relations  that  had  existed  between  Gambler  and  Mrs. 
Dalton  during  her  husband's  absence  from  Paris.  As  to 
the  letter  Gambler  had  written  to  Mr.  Dalton,  it  was  for 
the  purpose  of  acquainting  the  latter  that  the  former  was 
the  owner  of  ten  letters  of  the  same  style  and  nature  as 
that  sent  as  a  specimen ;  and  the  planter  was  coolly  in- 
formed that  he  could  prevent  their  circulation  by  depos- 
iting five  thousand  dollars  with  a  friend  whose  address 
was  given.  The  cause  of  Blanche's  distress  in  the  French 
capital,  and  her  anxiety  since  she  had  left  it,  was  thus  re- 
vealed to  her  husband.  He  now  understood  why  she  had 
desired  to  return  to  America  before  the  completion  of  the 
treatment  prescribed  for  her  by  the  Parisian  physicians ; 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  193 

the  terror  she  had  more  than  once  manifested  during  the 
sea-trip,  and  since  their  arrival  in  the  metropolis  ;  and  also 
the  use  that  had  been  made  of  the  money  he  had  lavished 
on  her.  The  unfortunate  woman  had  been  the  victim  and 
tool  of  a  most  contemptible  villain  ;  but  though  pitying  her 
from  the  depths  of  his  heart,  Mr.  Dalton  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  all  further  life  with  her  was  at  an  end.  She 
could  not  possibly  be  the  mother  of  children  he  longed 
for,  and  he  was  forced,  by  the  necessity  of  releasing  him- 
self from  his  matrimonial  bonds,  to  plunge  into  grief  a  fam- 
ily to  which  he  was  sincerely  attached,  and  who  gloried  in 
an  unspotted  name. 

"  The  next  day  Mr.  Dalton  asked  to  have  an  interview 
with  his  father  and  brothers-in-law,  and  heart-broken  and 
with  trembling  lips,  he  deposited  in  their  hands  the  lines 
written  by  Blanche  to  Gambler,  and  the  letter  the  villain 
had  sent  to  him.  After  reading  these  proofs  of  his  daugh- 
ter's guilt,  '  Sir,'  said  Mr.  Rivingston,  '  I  have  loved  and 
treated  you  like  one  of  my  own  children  •,  but  I  now  under- 
stand that  family  connections  between  us  must  be  sev- 
ered. So  far  as  my  consent  goes,  you  are  at  liberty  to  take 
another  wife  in  place  of  the  woman  who  can  no  longer  be 
my  daughter.  To-day  she  must  retire  forever  from  a  soci- 
ety she  has  proved  herself  unworthy  to  further  associate 
with,  by  betraying  your  honor,  and  defiling  her  family's 
good  name.  Here,'  added  he,  addressing  his  sons,  '  take 
five  thousand  dollars  out  of  my  drawer  and  carry  them  to 
the  person  named  by  the  wretch  who  has  ruined  your  sis. 
ter ;  and  if  ever  you  chance  to  meet  him,  shoot  him  down 
like  a  dog.' 

"  A  few  hours  later,  Mr.  Rivingston,  accompanied  by  a 
physician,  entered  his  daughter's  room. 

"  '  Madam,'  said  the  proud  planter,  showing  her  a  bun- 


194  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

die  of  letters,  '  here  are  evident  proofs  that  your  mind  is 
deranged,  and  this  gentleman,  according  to  law,  will  swear 
to  it.  A  woman  who  belongs  to  one  of  the  oldest  and  most 
respected  Southern  families,  and  who  so  far  forgets  her- 
self as  to  trample  upon  the  sacred  laws  of  chastity,  is  un- 
doubtedly mad.  You  must,  therefore,  to-day,  enter  an  asy- 
lum ;  and  if  it  depends  upon  your  father's  will,  you  shall 
never  come  out  of  it.' 

"  That  evening,  Blanche,  thoroughly  overcome  by  terror 
and  remorse,  and  in  a  state  of  insensibility,  was  taken  by 
her  father  and  brothers  to  Doctor  Greedy's  institution." 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

IN  WHICH  ASMODEUS  TAKES  THE  READER  TO  AN  INSANE 
ASYLUM  ;  THEN  TO  A  POLITICAL  CLUB,  WHICH  IS  BUT 
"ONE  REMOVE"  FROM  THE  FORMER. 

[HIS  is  a  dreadful  history,"  said  I  to  Asmo- 
deus,  when  he  had  concluded  his  narrative. 

"  Undoubtedly ;  and  it  is  sad  to  think 
Blanche's  sequestration  is  not  an  isolated 
and  unfrequent  case.  Insane  asylums,  kept  by  private 
individuals,  are  numerous  in  the  United  States,  because 
very  excitable  persons  are  more  exposed  than  others 
to  lose  the  equilibrium  of  their  minds ;  and  perhaps,  in 
every  one  of  them,  detained  in  spite  of  all  human  and 
divine  laws,  may  be  found  some  victims  of  domestic  re- 
venge or  cupidity.  A  husband  who  wants  to  get  rid  of  a 
troublesome  wife,  a  brother  coveting  his  brother's  or  sis- 
ter's fortune,  a  son  who  thinks  his  old  father  is  clinging 
too  long  to  life,  have  but  to  procure  a  physician's  certifi- 
cate, to  be  enabled  to  keep  for  any  length  of  time,  perhaps 
forever,  within  the  walls  of  an  asylum,  the  victims  of  their 
rapacious  passions.  And  when  thus  incarcerated,  how 
many  varied  interests  will  be  at  work  to  prevent  their  lib- 
eration ! 

"  But  we  are  arrived  at  Doctor  Greedy's  ;  let  us  go  in. 
We  shall  very  likely  find  many  a  subject  that  will  interest 
us." 


196  Asmodeus  in  Neiv -York. 

The  doctor  kindly  bade  us  welcome,  thanking  us  for 
visiting  his  establishment. 

"  It  is  somewhat  removed,"  said  he,  "  from  the  populated 
districts  of  the  city.  But  you  know,  the  health  and  wel- 
fare of  our  patients  are  of  paramount  importance.  I 
suppose  it  did  not  escape  your  observation  that  the  house 
is  built  upon  a  hill,  and  in  an  unrivaled  locality  as  regards 
the  beauty  of  the  surrounding  scenery.  You  will  perceive 
there  are  fine,  large  gardens  attached,  with  charming 
walks  where  our  patients  may  ramble  about  and  take 
healthful  exercise.  Such  advantages  can  be  procured 
only  in  an  establishment  removed  from  the  city.  These 
advantages  and  the  profound  quietness  our  patients  enjoy 
in  this  beautiful  solitude,  are  an  absolute  necessity  for  the 
improvement  of  their  health." 

Extensive  as  were  the  grounds,  they  were  fenced  in  by 
a  wooden  wall,  of  such  height  as  to  prevent  any  one  out- 
side from  seeing  inside,  and  the  inmates  from  escaping. 
Much  order,  method,  and  regularity  were  everywhere 
apparent.  One  might  have  readily  fancied  himself  in  a 
young  ladies'  boarding-school,  but  for  the  fact  that,  from 
time  to  time,  a  startling  shriek  reminded  him  he  was  in  an 
insane  asylum,  and  that  some  unfortunate  creatures  were 
confined  in  lonely  cells  for  prudential  reasons.  But  most 
of  the  inmates  were  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  their  freedom ; 
that  is,  within  the  limits  of  the  establishment.  They  could 
be  seen  in  the  gardens,  the  parlors,  and  even  in  the  kitch- 
ens. There  were  two  separate  buildings — one  for  the 
males — the  other  for  the  female  patients  ;  and  assuredly, 
if  all  other  asylums  in  the  United  States  are  as  well  man- 
aged as  this  one,  the  American  people  are  ahead,  in  this 
respect,  of  many  European  nations. 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  197 

"  Do  not  deceive  yourself,"  said  Asmodeus  to  me,  when 
Doctor  Greedy  had  left  us,  to  receive  new  visitors  ;  "  you 
are  in  one  of  the  most  fashionable  establishments  of  the 
kind.  Common  patients  are  not  received  here ;  one 
must  pay,  and  that  dearly,  to  be  allowed  a  resident's  privi- 
lege. Asylums  kept  by  private  individuals  must  be  dis- 
tinguished from  those  every  State  maintains  for  the  wants 
of  poor  persons.  You  would  certainly  not  find  in  the  latter 
all  the  comforts  you  here  perceive.  But,  at  the  same  time, 
it  must  be  admitted  that  individuals  of  sound  mind  are 
never  confined  in  public  mad-houses.  The  victims  of  error 
or  violence  would  soon  discover  a  means  to  gain  their 
liberty,  as  neither  the  directors  nor  keepers  have  the 
slightest  interest  in  confining  them. 

"  It  is  not  so  with  private  enterprises.  A  French  pro- 
verb says  that  a  priest  must  fatten  on  the  proceeds  of  the 
altar  ;  by  the  same  rule,  the  proprietors  of  establishments 
for  the  insane  must  gain  a  living  from  their  business.  Of 
course,  that  business  is  not  in  a  prosperous  condition 
when  many  cells  are  unoccupied  ;  and  for  this  reason  it 
sometimes  happens  they  are  occupied  by  persons  of  sane 
minds." 

At  that  moment,  we  were  accosted  by  a  well-dressed 
gentleman,  of  easy  and  courteous  manners  ;  and,  as  we  had 
occasion  to  notice,  of  refined  education. 

Until  undeceived  by  Doctor  Greedy,  I  took  him  for  one 
of  his  patients  happily  recovered.  He  offered  to  escort  us 
through  the  establishment,  "  whose  every  corner  I  know 
well,"  said  he,  "  for  I  have  been  an  inmate  here  for  the 
past  six  months.  But,  thanks  to  the  assiduous  attentions 
of  that  excellent  man,  Dr.  Greedy,  I  am  now  myself  again, 
and  my  health  is  as  good  as  it  has  ever  been.  I  have 


198  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

heard,"  he  went  on  to  say,  "that  patients  do  not  suffer 
when  their  mind  gives  way.  It  is  a  great  error,  gentlemen  ! 
I  speak  with  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  case  ;  for  when 
I  became  mad,  I  experienced  such  sufferings,  that  I 
shudder  at  their  very  recollection.  I  was  conscious  my 
reason  was  gradually  leaving  me  ;  and  I  could  not  hold  it 
back.  Anyhow,  I  expect  to  leave  this  house  to-morrow  ; 
and  my  joy  at  being  cured  is  not  unmingled  with  regret, 
I  assure  you",  gentlemen  ;  for  the  patients  are  here  the 
objects  of  really  paternal  care." 

This  obliging  person  then  conducted  us  through  the  vast 
establishment  of  Doctor  Greedy. 

We  saw,  first,  in  the  vegetable-garden,  a  number  of  pa- 
tients, busily  gardening. 

"  One  of  the  means,"  observed  our  cicerone,  "  most  suc- 
cessfully employed  to  calm  an  over-excited  brain.  The 
nearer  to  nature  a  man  keeps  himself,  the  better.  On 
seeing  the  plants  whose  seeds  they  have  sown,  little  by 
little  sprouting  forth,  insane  persons  take  interest  in  their 
work,  and  that  interest  sometimes  becomes  so  powerful  as 
to  gradually  drive  from  their  mind  the  fancies  by  which  it 
was  disturbed,  whether  from  ambition  or  love,  disappoint- 
ment or  pecuniary  reverses.  Music,  also,  is  a  successful 
remedy,  and  the  ancients  were  right  when  they  elevated 
its  inventor  to  the  rank  of  a  god.  We  have  here  many 
examples  of  infuriated  patients  to  whom  music's  harmoni- 
ous strains  have  restored  calm  and  reason.  But  let  us  en- 
ter the  concert-hall,  and  you  will  see." 

We  followed  our  guide  into  the  concert-hall,  where  were 
assembled  about  one  dozen  performers.  We  were  intro- 
duced to  them  with  the  accustomed  formality,  after  which, 
at  the  request  of  Asmodeus,  they  performed  the  cele- 
brated overture  to  Robert  the  Devil,  and  with  such  expres- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  199 

sion,  such  brio,  that  we  heartily  applauded.  We  thank- 
ed them  for  their  kindness,  when  we  were  taken  to 
see  the  library.  It  contained  at  least  six  thousand  vo- 
lumes. It  is  free  to  both  the  male  and  female  inmates, 
some  of  whom,  as  we  inferred  from  the  voluminous  books 
they  consulted,  seemed  to  be  intensely  absorbed  in  patient 
study  and  research.  Others  were  reading  reviews  or 
works  of  light  literature,  and  others,  again,  writing  letters 
to  their  friends,  and  even  articles  for  the  press. 

"  You  can  not  imagine,"  said  our  guide, "  the  number  of 
very  talented  persons  we  have  here.  That  lady,  for  in- 
stance, who  is  so  tastefully  dressed,  whose  beautiful  ring- 
lets, really  her  own,  fall  so  abundantly  over  her  well-shaped 
shoulders,  is  no  other  than  Mrs.  Blooming,  who  has  writ- 
ten, under  a  well-known  nom  de  plume,  one  of  the  most 
attractive  novels  of  the  day.  She  will  remain  here  until 
an  action,  brought  against  her  by  her  brothers,  is  termi- 
nated. You  have  doubtless  heard  that  she  inherited  one 
hundred  thousand  dollars  from  her  father,  to  the  exclusion 
of  those  brothers.  The  latter  are  trying  hard  to  have  the 
will  annulled,  and  whether  they  succeed  or  not,  they  have, 
in  the  mean  time,  succeeded  in  having  their  sister  confined 
in  this  asylum,  under  pretense  that  she  is  insane." 

"  You  may  add  to  these  details,  which  are  perfectly  cor- 
rect," interrupted  Asmodeus,  "  that  the  court,  when  it 
declined  to  give  the  brothers  of  Mrs.  Blooming  the  ad- 
ministration of  her  fortune,  stated  that,  were  the  author 
of  so  many  charming  works  incarcerated  in  a  mad  asylum, 
her  numberless  readers  should  keep  her  company ;  and 
that,  notwithstanding  that  opinion,  her  brothers  have  suffi- 
cient influence  to  prolong  her  captivity,  and  will  keep  her 
here  until  they  have  lost  their  lawsuit,  without  possibility 


2CO  Asmodeiis  in  New -York. 

of  appeal,  or  until  they  are  unable  to  pay  Dr.  Greedy's 
monthly  bills." 

"  Those  two  lads,"  resumed  our  guide,  "  who  are  so  bu- 
sily examining  engravings,  became  mad  in  consequence 
of  over-working  their  brain.  Their  father,  a  man  without 
judgment,  though  a  teacher  in  one  of  our  academies, 
wanted  them  to  commit  to  memory  Webster's  unabridged 
dictionary.  When  they  arrived  at  the  second  letter  of  the 
alphabet,  their  brains  cracked. 

"That  lean  personage,  whose  oval  face  reminds  one  of 
Francis  I.,  has  been  one  of  the  most  successful  financiers 
of  New-York.  He  betrayed  his  best  friend,  who,  to  drown 
his  grief  because  of  his  wife's  infidelity,  took  to  drink,  and 
shortly  after  committed  suicide.  The  financier,  on  the 
death  of  his  friend — perhaps  to  lull  his  conscience — also 
conceived  a  fancy  for  spirituous  liquors  ;  but,  less  fortunate 
than  the  betrayed  husband,  he  did  not  find  in  the  poisoned 
cup  the  death  he  sought,  but  madness  only. 

"  The  patient  he  is  now  speaking  to  was  one  of  the 
wealthiest  real-estate  owners  in  the  State  of  New-York. 
He,  with  the  view  of  spreading  abroad  the  belief  that  a 
certain  locality  was  exposed  to  epizooty,  poisoned  his 
neighbors'  cattle.  Discouraged  and  terrified,  the  farmers 
sold  out  for  a  mere  song,  and  the  cattle-poisoner  purchas- 
ed their  lands.  From  that  time  the  locality  became  sur- 
prisingly free  from  epizooty,  and  real  estate  resumed  its 
former  value.  This  man  had  thus  accumulated  a  large 
fortune,  when  one  of  his  children  unconsciously  revealed 
the  means  resorted  to  by  his  father  to  become  rich.  Pro- 
secuted by  the  farmers  he  had  swindled,  wearied  with  the 
countless  lawsuits  in  which  they  involved  him,  his  mind 
soon  broke  down. 

"  That  bald  man,  wearing  spectacles,  and  who  is  ab- 


Asmodetis  in  New -York.  201 

sorbed  in  reading  an  old  book,  is  one  of  the  best  journal- 
ists of  New- York,  and  one  of  the  most  distinguished  pub- 
licists of  the  United  States.  Nobody  can  better  treat  of 
the  rights  of  nations,  and  the  secretary  of  the  Federal 
States  often  avails  himself  of  his  profound  views.  When- 
ever he  delays  furnishing  articles  to  the  newspaper  he 
is  connected  with,  its  proprietors  are  in  distress ;  for 
they  do  not  sell  so  many  copies.  The  public  is  far  from 
suspecting  that  one  of  the  first  journalists  of  the  day 
resides  in  a  mad-house ;  and,  what  is  really  singular,  the 
mind  of  this  man  loses  its  brilliancy  as  soon  as  he  leaves 
Dr.  Greedy's  establishment.  His  style  becomes  dull,  his 
ideas  are  no  longer  profound  and  genuine  ;  in  short,  he 
becomes  driveling,  and  is  quickly  obliged  to  come  back 
here,  to  strengthen  and  refresh  his  brain." 

I  smiled  at  these  words ;  but  Asmodeus  seriously  as- 
sured me  nothing  was  more  true,  and  that  every  body  in 
New-York  at  all  conversant  with  the  literary  world  could 
confirm  the  statement  of  our  cicerone,  strange  as  it 
might  appear. 

"  After  all,"  he  added,  "  there  is  more  than  one  instance 
of  this  fact,  in  and  out  of  the  United  States.  It  was  in  an 
insane  asylum  a  European  musician  composed  his  most 
celebrated  works  ;  and  because  they  are  not  written  with- 
in the  walls  of  a  mad-house,  the  editorials  of  some  Euro- 
pean newspapers  are  not  always  conspicuous  for  common 
sense." 

Next  we  visited  the  gaming-room,  where  several  tables 
were  occupied  by  whist  players  ;  while  other  patients  were 
playing  chess  :  and  from  the  noise  of  colliding  balls  coming 
from  an  adjoining  room,  we  inferred  that  some  were  play- 
ing billiards. 

"  Billiard-playing,"  said  our  guide,  "  is  becoming  more 


2O2  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

and  more  appreciated  by  the  inmates  of  the  house. 
Some  have  acquired  a  wonderful  degree  of  proficien- 
cy. Last  month,  a  few  Canadian  and  New-England  pro- 
fessors accepted  a  challenge  from  three  of  our  billiard- 
players  ;  and  they  were  beaten  like  children.  But  this  is 
not  the  only  triumph  the  annals  of  the  house  may  boast  of. 
It  is  notorious  that  one  of  the  best  chess-players  in  the 
United  States  is  one  of  the  inmates  of  this  place  ;  and  you 
can  see  him,  at  this  very  moment,  beating  his  adversary, 
who  is  no  other  than  the  president  of  the  oldest  chess-club 
of  New- York. 

"  I  will  now  show  you  the  kitchens  of  the  establishment ; 
after  which  I  shall  be  compelled  to  leave  you  ;  for  I  have 
to  make  preparations  for  my  departure." 

We  were  accordingly  led  to  the  basement,  and  saw  many 
patients  engaged  in  culinary  occupations. 

"  One  of  the  principal  rules  of  the  house,"  said  our  cice- 
rone, "  is  to  allow  every  patient  to  choose  and  follow  the 
vocation  most  preferred — the  directors  only  requiring  them 
to  keep  always  busy.  In  consequence,  they  select  the 
kind  of  occupation  for  which  they  have  been  either  trained 
or  toward  which  they  feel  attracted  by  a  natural  taste. 
Here  is  applied  the  great  theory  of  Fourier  concerning 
callings  or  .vocations.  Every  man,  no  matter  how  little  he 
has  studied  the  human  organization,  well  knows  that  idle- 
ness, or,  as  the  Italians  say,  far  niente,  is  unwholesome  and 
always  deteriorating,  even  to  th§  strongest  minds.  An  ac- 
tive occupation,  therefore,  is  the  very  first  remedy  intelligent 
physicians  should  apply  to  insane  persons  ;  and  I  am  ready 
to  prove,  by  statistics  and  figures,  that  a  cure  is  certain, 
in  seven  cases  out  of  ten,  when  the  patient's  mind  is  kept 
active.  The  more  we  advance  in  the  path  of  civilization* 
the  more  will  men  appreciate  manual  labor,  and  all  preju- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  203 

dices  against  it  must  die  away.  Work  performed  by  hand 
is  as  noble  as  intellectual  labor  ;  and  as  regards  the  Unit- 
ed States,  the  gradual  and  steady  increase  of  wages  is 
highly  satisfactory.  It  is  a  favorable  sign  of  the  times  ; 
for,  in  the  estimation  of  most  men,  high  wages  contribute 
to  elevate  manual  labor,  as  well  as  all  grades  of  mankind. 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  every  patient,  on  entering  this 
house,  should  leave  all  pride  at  its  threshold  ;  for  alas  !  if 
absolute  equality  exists  anywhere,  it  is  in  death  !  And 
madness  is  nothing  but  the  death  of  the  intellect,  the  chief 
power  of  man.  But  the  directors  of  this  asylum  have  en- 
countered many  difficulties  in  getting  patients  to  attend  in 
the  culinary  department.  Many  objected,  because  it  re- 
quires manual  labor  ;  and  it  was  found  necessary  to  demon- 
strate to  them  the  great  part  the  culinary  art  has  played 
in  the  history  of  civilization.  The  French  system  of  cook- 
ing, for  instance,  has  been  praised  and  practiced  in  all 
countries  of  the  world.  Well,  when  they  set  to  work  in 
earnest,  the  inmates  here  performed  wonders,  and  speedily 
improved  upon  the  American  art  of  cooking. 

"  A  few  years  ago,  any  American  who  had  traveled 
abroad  was  ashamed  to  compare  the  fare  of  our  hotels  with 
that  of  European  restaurants,  and  the  courses  or  meals 
in  private  families  with  those  of  the  Old  World.  But  to-day 
American  cookery  may  bear  comparison  with  that  of  any 
country.  The  Puritan  receipts  for  preparing  victuals  for 
the  table,  brought  over  by  the  followers  of  Cromwell,  are 
justly  discarded.  Dishes  as  delicate  as  those  prepared  in 
Europe  are  now  daily  served  up  on  our  tables  ;  and  I 
doubt  not  we  eat  many  better  things  than  are  to  be  found  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  because  there  is  abundance 
here  of  fruits,  vegetables,  game,  and  fish.  I  have  always 
suspected  that  France  is  indebted  for  her  fine  cookery  to 


2O4  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

her  reputation  of  being  the  most  polite  nation  on  earth. 
But  we  will  beat  her  on  that  very  ground  ;  for  you  have 
only  to  partake  of  one  of  our  dinners,  to  be  agreeably  as- 
tonished at  the  luxury,  variety,  profuseness,  and  perfection 
of  its  courses ;  and  you  will  realize  how  much  a  good  re- 
past softens  the  heart  and  exercises  a  wholesome  influence 
over  the  brain." 

After  this  peroration  our  guide  politely  took  leave  of 
us,  and,  at  the  same  instant,  Dr.  Greedy  again  made  his 
appearance. 

"  Accept  my  congratulations,  doctor,"  said  I,  "  for  so  com- 
plete a  cure  as  I  see  wrought  in  the  gentleman  who  has 
just  left  us.  It  would  have  been,  indeed,  a  great  loss  for 
society  to  be  forever  deprived  of  a  man  in  the  full  strength 
of  his  years  and  gifted  with  such  intelligence  !" 

At  these  words,  the  doctor  and  Asmodeus  could  not  re- 
frain from  laughing. 

"  That '  man  in  the  full  strength  of  his  years  and  gifted 
with  such  intelligence,' "  said  the  former,  "  and  who  has  been 
so  kind  as  to  show  you  through  this  establishment,  is  an  in- 
veterate fool !  Twenty  times  I  thought  him  radically  cured, 
and  as  many  times  have  delivered  him  over  to  his  family's 
care.  Hardly  out  of  this  house,  he  indulged  in  such  follies 
that  it  was  found  necessary  to  speedily  restore  him  to  his 
cell.  The  worship  of  gold,  that  deadly  passion  of  our  age, 
has  upset  his  mind.  He  has  speculated  considerably  in  real 
estate,  and  lost  his  wealth,  and  finally  his  reason.  When 
he  has  his  freedom,  he  believes  himself  to  be  the  owner 
of  all  New- York  ;  and  while  laboring  under  that  delusion, 
he  commits  the  most  unheard-of  and  ridiculous  enormities. 
The  last  time  we  opened  to  him  the  doors  of  this  asylum, 
he  availed  himself  of  his  liberty  to  send  an  injunction  to 
the  three  or  four  hundred  hotel-owners  or  keepers  in 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  205 

New- York,  to  leave  their  premises  with  their  guests  within 
twenty-four  hours  ;  and  that  freak  cost  his  family,  for  reve- 
nue-stamps alone,  three  thousand  dollars.  At  the  same 
time,  he  had  sent  an  order  to  Rio  de  Janeiro  for  two  thou- 
sand monkeys  ;  probably  intending  to  put  those  strange 
creatures  as  guests  in  the  vacated  hotels.  When  the  cargo 
of  monkeys  arrived,  the  Federal  administration  was  iri 
doubt  whether  to  permit  the  landing  of  such  a  nuisance. 
But  finally,  the  monkeys  were  landed,  were  soon  sold  at 
auction,  and  as  a  few  hundred  Italian  organ-grinders  had 
also  just  arrived,  this  commercial  venture  unexpectedly 
turned  out  better  than  anticipated.  But  sad  to  say,  that 
amiable  man,  who,  in  your  opinion,  enjoys  his  reason,  has 
but  a  few  weeks  to  live.  This  morning  I  perceived  a  few 
silvery  streaks  amid  his  black  hair.  It  is  a  bad  sign — 
generally  the  forerunner  of  death." 

"  But  what  is  insanity,  doctor  ?"  inquired  Asmodeus. 

"Ah!  sir,  you  know  as  much  on  that  subject  as  my- 
self," answered  the  doctor,  "  though  you  are  not  a  pro- 
fessor in  a  medical  college.  I  once  wrote  a  book  on  mad- 
ness, and,  as  a  reward  for  my  researches  and  observations, 
I  was  appointed  professor  of  pathology.  At  the  same 
time,  the  French  Scientific  Academy  elected  me  as  one  of 
its  corresponding  members.  Well,  between  you  and  me, 
with  all  my  studies,  I  confess  I  do  not  know  what  cause 
determines  madness,  the  locality  of  the  disease,  and,  least 
of  all,  the  remedy  for  it.  1  have  dissected  more  than  five 
hundred  bodies  of  madmen  ;  and  I  did  not  find  in  two  of 
them  similar  signs  of  internal  perturbation  ;  even  when  the 
external  symptoms  of  the  disease — that  is,  the  objects  of 
the  patients'  infatuation — had  been  identical.  What  do 
you  think  of  science,  after  that  ?  " 

"  This  is  candor,  doctor,"  replied  Asmodeus  ;  "  but  tell 


206  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

me,  what  do  you  intend  to  do  with  that  interesting  creature, 
Blanche  Rivingston,  who  was  brought  back  this  morning 
to  your  house  ?" 

"  To  keep  her,  forsooth !  What  good  use  could  she 
make  of  her  liberty  ?  She  escaped  from  here,  one  week 
ago,  to  meet  again  the  man  who  had  ruined  her,  and  who 
had  succeeded  in  discovering  her  retreat.  Fortunately, 
we  traced  and  recaught  her,  and  shall  henceforth  watch 
her  more  closely.  You  can  see  her,  if  you  desire  ;  she  is 
in  the  infirmary.  Until  she  is  entirely  deprived  of  her 
reason,  she  plays  the  part  that  suits  her — that  of  a  sister 
of  charity." 

We  here  took  leave  of  Dr.  Greedy ;  and  while  saunter- 
ing along,  Asmodeus  made  sundry  weighty  observations. 

"  Good  and  benevolent  as  a  man  may  be,"  said  he, 
"  that  law  is  wrong  which  clothes  him  with  an  absolute 
power  over  his  fellow-creatures  —  a  power  angels  them- 
selves would  hardly  fail  to  abuse.  The  oily  and  affable 
manner  in  which  madhouse  proprietors  receive  visitors  is 
changed  into  brutal  indifference  toward  those  patients  who 
endeavor  either  to  recover  their  liberty  or  are  rebellious  to 
the  house  regulations.  Their  power  over  those  within 
their  control  is  unbounded,  and  ever  kept  alive  and  active, 
on  account  of  their  covetousness.  Nothing  is  easier  for 
them  than  to  prevent  a  patient,  either  really  insane  or  sim- 
ply affected  with  a  nervous  disease,  from  communicating 
with  his  relatives  and  friends,  or  strangers.  Their  power 
to  recapture,  everywhere,  escaped  patients — to  demand,  in 
case  of  need,  the  aid  of  the  police,  is  absolutely  dreadful, 
and  necessarily  tends  to  many  abuses.  For  instance,  any 
citizen  on  the  strength  of  a  simple  certificate  from  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  establishment  we  have  just  visited,  may  be 
arrested,  and  the  protection  of  the  law  will  be  denied  him 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  207 

under  the  pretense  that  he  is  mad.  And  what  is  fearful 
to  think  of  is  this — the  less  insane  a  person  is,  the  smaller 
are  his  chances  to  escape  from  a  lunatic  asylum  ;  because 
he  is  the  object  of  more  interested  and  attentive  watchful- 
ness. Crimes  without  number  have  thus  been,  and  are 
still  committed,  in  a  country  which  boasts  of  her  kind  and 
tolerant  habits. 

"  An  evil-doer,  sentenced  to  a  term  of  imprisonment, 
knows  when  his  captivity  must  end  ;  while  a  citizen,  ab- 
ducted into  an  insane  asylum,  has  not  even  the  consolation 
of  knowing  when  his  incarceration  will  cease.  Undoubtedly, 
all  private  establishments  of  that  kind  need  strict  watching  ; 
it  is  imperatively  demanded  by  the  most  important  con- 
siderations. Officers  delegated  by  the  State  governments, 
and  committees  from  benevolent  institutions,  should  fre- 
quently visit  them,  kindly  interrogate  all  patients,  and 
observe  whether  their  mental  condition  is  such  as  to  justify 
their  confinement.  But,  above  all,  a  certificate,  no  master 
whether  signed  by  one  or  two  physicians,  should  be  insuffi- 
cient to  authorize  a  family  to  confine  in  an  asylum  one  of 
its  obnoxious  members.  Why,  the  intervention  of  a  jury 
should  be  necessary  in  every  case  where  individual  liberty 
is  threatened  in  consequence  of  an  alleged  derangement 
of  the  mental  organs.  Bastiles,  distinguished  under  the 
name  of  villas,  are  none  the  less  Bastiles ;  and  the  certi- 
ficate of  a  doctor,  whose  honesty  may  have  been  over- 
powered or  conscience  bribed,  serves,  oftener  than  the 
public  imagines,  under  the  democratic  institutions  of  this 
country,  as  fearful  ends  as  once  did  orders  under  a  king's 
signet." 

It  was  now  evening,  and  the  election  was  over.  At  sun- 
set, all  the  bar-rooms  in  the  city  had  been  thrown  open ; 
and  the  sovereigns  rushing  into  them,  and  their  outbursts 


208  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

of  happiness,  was  a  sight  worth  witnessing.  One  would 
have  thought  they  had  not  quenched  their  thirst  for  a  fort- 
night past ;  and  I  easily  believed  the  consumption  of 
liquors  is  greater,  on  election-day,  than  at  any  other  time  of 
the  year,  though  liquor  saloons  are  opened  in  the  evening 
only. 

We  went  to  the  club  where  congregates  one  of  the 
oldest  political  societies  in  the  United  States. 

The  right  to  hold  public  meetings,  Asmodeus  informed 
me,  is  recognized  by  the  constitution,  without  limitation  or 
reserve.  The  citizens  meet  where,  when,  and  in  such 
numbers  as  they  choose,  for  political,  religious,  literary,  or 
benevolent  purposes  ;  and  the  government  has  no  power 
to  intervene.  There  are  clubs,  or  political  associations, 
everywhere,  in  the  smallest  localities  as  in  large  cities.  It 
even  sometimes  happens  that  two  clubs  or  associations,  re- 
representing  different  political  opinions,  hold  simultaneous- 
ly their  sittings  in  the  same  building ;  and  such  is  the 
respect  for  the  right  of  meeting,  that  disturbances  seldom 
happen. 

When  we  entered,  the  club-room  was  crowded  with  mem- 
bers, anxiously  waiting  for  the  result  of  the  ballot ;  as  the 
operation  of  counting  the  votes  was  going  on  in  every 
district.  Messengers  were  arriving  at  every  moment, 
reporting  the  progress  of  the  operation  and  the  prospect 
of  the  election.  Suddenly,  one  of  them  entered,  panting 
and  in  great  heat,  shouting,  "Victory!"  He  had  no  time 
to  say  more  ;  enthusiastic  hurrahs  shook  the  hall ;  and 
when  that  tumultuous  demonstration  had  subsided,  one 
member,  then  two,  five,  twenty  ascended  the  platform. 
All  began  speaking  at  the  same  time,  and  every  one  was 
anxious  to  be  heard.  For  if  there  is  a  people  ever  ready 
to  discourse  on  any  and  every  topic,  as  Asmodeus  pre- 


Asmodeiis  in  New -York.  209 

viously  observed,  it  is  the  American.  The  president  of 
the  meeting,  by  dint  of  much  hammering,  succeeded  in  re- 
storing order ;  and  he  availed  himself  of  it  to  make  a 
speech. 

"The  American  people,"  said  he,  with  majestic  em- 
phasis, his  eyes  flashing  with  pride,  "  the  greatest  on  the 
face  of  the  earth ;  the  great  demonstrators  of  univer- 
sal democracy  ;  the  standard-bearers  of  civilization  ;  the 
sovereigns  of  a  land  toward  which  oppressed  nations  turn 
their  longing  eyes ;  have  shown  themselves  to-day  in  all 
their  wonted  power !  They  have  spoken  in  thunder-tones  ; 
and  the  vandals  who  now  possess  the  capital  of  the  nation, 
the  evil-doers  who  have  crept  into  public  offices,  the 
villains  and  traitors  who  have  disgraced  the  American 
name,  will  soon  disappear  from  public  view,  never  to  rise 
again.  The  electors  are  the  nation,  and  the  men  chosen 
are  the  depositaries  of  its  will  and  power,  without  appeal. 
We  are,  emphatically,  the  most  intelligent  people  in  the 
world !  Our  institutions  are  models  of  perfection,  the 
greatest  work  of  the  mind  of  man  since  the  organization 
of  society !  Our  populations,  educated  in  free  schools, 
and  thus  enabled  to  exercise,  in  a  satisfactory  manner, 
their  political  rights,  exhibit  a  power  of  judgment  and 
understanding  which  commands  the  admiration  of  every 
impartial  observer.  •  Heaven  smiles  upon  us,  and  os- 
tensibly favors  our  national  development.  As  a  proof  of 
it,  we  enjoy  an  unbounded  material  prosperity,  such  as 
could  not  be  prevented  even  by  the  infamous  party  which 
the  popular  verdict  has  just  consigned  to  its  grave." 

The  speaker  was  interrupted  in  his  dithyrambic  pero- 
ration by  a  messenger,  bringing  in  an  almost  complete 
report  concerning  the  results  of  the  election.  Amid  the 
shouts,  clapping  of  hands,  and  stamping  of  feet  of  the 


2io  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

members,  the  officers  of  the  club  examined  this  report ; 
and  it  soon  became  apparent,  from  their  dejected  looks 
and  angry  exclamations,  that  the  news  they  had  to  imparf 
to  their  political  brethren  was  far  from  being  satisfactory. 
The  president  hardly  needed  to  ask  the  members  to  keep 
quiet ;  the  result  of  the  election  had  been  guessed  by 
those  of  them  sitting  near  his  desk  ;  and  through  these, 
every  one  in  the  hall  soon  became  aware  that  most  of  the 
club's  candidates  had  failed  to  obtain  a  majority  of  votes. 
The  members  were  overwhelmed  with  disappointment  and 
consternation.  At  last,  the  president  rose  and  said  : 

"  Friends  and  fellow-citizens :  I  feel  sick  at  heart ;  for 
this  day  is  an  ill-omened  one  in  the  history  of  the  repub- 
lic !  Our  hymns  and  shouts  of  rejoicing  must  be  changed 
into  lamentations  !  Corruption  has  won  the  day !  We 
have  been  beaten  in  almost  every  district !  Fabulous 
sums  of  money  have  been  spent  by  our  opponents  to  bribe 
voters  and  to  pervert  the  expression  of  the  national  will. 
But  the  intriguers,  the  unworthy  men  who  have  just  been 
elected,  know  too  well  how  to  get  back  all  this  outlay  of 
money  from  the  pockets  of  tax  payers.  .  .  .  We  must  have 
the  manliness  to  confess  it — we  blow,  we  brag  too  much. 
We  are  a  degenerate  people,  unworthy  to  live  under  demo- 
cratic institutions,  as  we  do  not  know  how  to  turn  them  to 
good  account.  Behold  our  present  situation !.  We  have 
lost  all  prestige  abroad ;  we  have  become  the  laughing- 
stock of  foreigners,  since  the  principal  offices  in  the  gift 
of  the  people  are  held  by  our  political  opponents.  The 
misery  of  our  country  is  fearful  to  contemplate  ;  for  we  are 
crushed  by  enormous  taxes,  while  the  general  commerce 
and  industry  of  the  land  are  paralyzed  by  revenue  laws, 
voted  for  the  profit  of  the  few  to  the  detriment  of  the 
many.  The  judiciary  is  degraded,  the  officers  of  the  law 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  21 1 

making  it  subservient  to  their  personal  aggrandizement ; 
and,  to  complete  this  fearful  state  of  things,  the  crops  have 
failed,  and  want  threatens  the  nation  ;  for  Heaven  has,  in 
disgust,  withdrawn  its  protection  from  a  stupid  country 
that  knows  not  how  to  protect  itself!" 

After  this  mournful  strain,  the  president  left  the  plat- 
form, visibly  depressed  and  almost  moved  to  tears.  Many 
other  speakers  addressed  the  assembly,  every  one  making 
still  darker  the  sad  picture  which  had  been  wrought  of  the 
nation,  uniformly  winding  up  their  harangues  by  violent 
threats  against  the  Federal  government,  the  State  gov- 
ernor— in  short,  all  the  public  functionaries  who  had  just 
obtained  the  majority  of  votes.  One  would  have  thought 
that  terrible  events  were  in  store  for  the  Republic — that 
the  country  was  on  the  eve  of  a  revolution.  But  Asmo- 
deus assured  me  all  these  noisy  demonstrations  had  no 
importance  whatever. 

"  In  fact,"  said  he,  "  they  are  windy,  empty  words,  '  full 
of  sound  and  fury,  signifying  nothing.'  To-morrow  no 
trace  will  remain  of  this  tumultuous  ebullition  of  party  ran- 
cor ;  and  all  these  now  exasperated  men,  like  sensible  per- 
sons, will  quietly  accept  the  result  of  the  election.  For, 
above  all  controversies  and  wranglings,  there  is  a  common 
ground  for^all  parties — it  is  the  universal  assent  to  the 
majority's  verdict.  Silence  will  reign  in  this  hall  until  the 
next  election." 

We  were  just  on  the  point  of  withdrawing  when  the 
street  resounded  with  shouts,  and  soon  after  we  saw  enter- 
ing, nearly  carried  in  the  arms  of  their  friends,  the  propri- 
etor of  the  gambling-house  where  we  had  spent  the  even- 
ing before,  and  the  elegant  personage  Asmodeus  had  de- 
scribed as  the  promoter  of  the  many  lotteries  which  are  in 
operation  throughout  the  States  in  spite  of  law.  Both  of 


212  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

these  individuals  announced,  with  cheerful  and  serene 
countenances,  that  they  had  been,  unquestionably,  elected 
representatives  of  the  people,  agreeably  to  the  notice  they 
had  previously  sent  through  a  messenger — the  same  who 
was  not  allowed,  because  of  the  enthusiasm  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  club,  to  explain  his  errand.  The  newly-elected 
representatives  were  then  surrounded  by  the  members,  who 
had  become  intoxicated  with  joy.  Hurrah  after  hurrah 
reverberated  through  the  hall,  and  an  incredible  scene 
of  confusion  ensued.  All  began  speaking  at  the  same 
time,  giving  extraordinary  proportions  to  an  accidental 
triumph  of  their  party.  They  whistled,  they  sang,  they 
embraced  each  other ;  and  a  few  even  performed  an  Irish 
jig — as  the  victory  of  the  candidates  was  chiefly  due  to 
the  votes  of  the  Irish  population.  The  excitement  was  at 
its  height,  when  messengers  brought  in  the  news  that  most 
of  the  districts  had  elected  for  judges  candidates  of  the 
club. 

"  Now,"  exclaimed  an  enthusiastic  member,  "  they  can 
make  as  many  laws  as  they  please  in  Congress  or  else- 
where !  I  do  not  care  a  dime  about  it,  as  the  courts  will 
finally  have  to  determine  all  obscure  points  of  law ;  and 
when  those  laws  do  not  suit  us,  our  judges  will  discover 
many  flaws  in  them,  such  as  to  render  their  application 
next  to  impossible." 

"  That  Macchiavelli,"  said  Asmodeus,  leading  me  out  of 
the  hall,  "  has  just  developed,  in  a  few  words,  the  history, 
of  many  laws  in  the  United  States.  The  wisest  legisla 
tion  remains  a  dead  letter,  when  the  feelings,  prejudices, 
or  interests  of  the  people  are  opposed  to  it.  Judges,  for 
fear  of  its  resentment,  obey  the  dictates  of  the  populace. 
Their  reelection  is  the  reward  of  their  servility." 


CHAPTER   XV. 

IN  WHICH  THE  READER  ASSISTS  AT  SOME  RELIGIOUS  EXER- 
CISES, INTERMIXED  WITH  DANCING  AND  SUNDRY  OTHER 
RECREATIONS. 

HERE  is,"  said  Asmodeus,  when  I  saw  him 
again  the  next  day,  "  a  camp-meeting  a  short 
distance  from  New- York.  Let  us  visit  it. 
We  were  deep  in  politics  yesterday ;  and  to- 
day I  want  to  breathe  the  pure  air  of  the  country." 

On  our  way  to  the  ferry-boat  which  carries  passengers 
over  the  beautiful  river  that  washes  the  shores  of  New- 
York,  we  saw  a  large  market,  where  produce  from  all  parts 
of  the  world  was  piled  up  and  scattered  about  promiscu- 
ously. Wagons,  loaded  with  oranges,  lemons,  bananas, 
pine-apples,  and  cocoa-nuts,  lined  several  streets,  and  ob- 
structed the  way  of  passengers.  Policemen  were  busy 
making  a  passage  for  persons  going  to  or  from  the  market. 
Fruits  and  vegetables  of  every  description  were  heaped  up 
on  the  side-walks ;  while  barrels  of  salt-fish  and  meat 
crowded  a  number  of  stores. 

"  The  Americans,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  are  really  a  people 
of  Gargantuas.  See  yonder  ships  at  anchor  ;  they  bring 
to  this  great  metropolis  produce  from  the  remotest  parts 
of  the  Union,  and  also  from  the  West-Indies  and  Europe. 
I  see  around  us  breadstuffs  and  provisions  in  sufficient 
quantity  to  supply,  for  several  months,  the  standing  armies 


214  Astnodeus  in  New -York. 

of  the  Old  World.  The  markets  of  London  and  Paris  can 
hardly  give  an  idea  of  the  abundance  to  be  found  here. 
Look  at  those  tables  loaded  with  dishes  of  every  descrip- 
tion, and  at  which  workingmen  are  seated.  In  what  other 
country  can  people  afford  to  supply  themselves  with  such 
abundance  ?  Many  of  those  laborers  have  eaten,  I  doubt 
not,  three  meals  since  the  dawn  of  day.  Large  consumers  as 
they  are,  it  is  fortunate  for  the  Americans  that  they  live  in  a 
country  whose  fertility  is  without  a  rival.  But  for  that  special 
favor  of  Providence,  they  would  often  be  in  extreme  want." 

While  crossing  the  Hudson,  we  saw,  either  arriving  or 
at  anchor,  steamers  and  sailing-vessels  loaded  with  immi- 
grants. 

"Here,"  exclaimed  Asmodeus,  pointing  them  out,  "here 
is  America's  strength  !  Here  is  the  most  important  source 
of  her  prosperity.  Immigration  is  constantly  infusing  a 
new  life  into  the  veins  of  the  American  people,  thus  keep- 
ing up  their  surprising  vitality.  What  would  the  United 
States  be  to-day,  but  for  immigrants?  They  have  popu- 
lated many  a  Western  State ;  built  splendid  cities ;  con- 
structed railroads ;  dug  canals ;  and,  but  for  them,  the 
American  Union  would  be  a  small  nation,  instead  of  one 
of  the  first  powers  on  earth,  by  its  numbers  and  wealth. 
Statisticians  have,  time  and  again,  demonstrated  that  the 
population  of  the  United  States,  had  it  followed  the  laws 
of  natural  increase,  would  be  twelve  millions  to-day,  in- 
cluding four  millions  of  blacks.  Thanks  to  the  influx  of 
Europeans,  since  the  beginning  of  this  century,  it  exceeds 
thirty-six  millions,  and  will  amount,  perhaps,  to  one  hun- 
dred millions  before  its  close. 

"  It  is,  therefore,  an  indisputable  fact  that  the  popula- 
tion of  America  is,  two  thirds  of  it,  composed  of  immigrants 
and  their  children.  From  1850  to  1860,  five  millions  of 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  215 

Europeans,  mostly  Irish  and  Germans,  have  settled  in  the 
United  States,  a  number  superior  to  the  whole  population 
of  the  Republic  when  she  assumed  her  rank  among  other 
nations. 

"  The  United  States  offer  to-day  a  great  and  wonderful 
spectacle — one  highly  suggestive  as  regards  the  destinies 
of  mankind.  A  population  of  over  thirty-six  millions  ex- 
ists in  conditions  of  perfect  equality,  is  devoted  to  the 
same  laws  and  institutions,  in  spite  of  its  different  origins 
and  habits,  even  the  hostility  of  its  traditions. 

"  America  is  a  meeting-ground  for  all  nationalities,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  it  is  their  grave.  Though  every  people 
finds  here  its  own  language,  faith,  festivities,  national  cos- 
tume, even  its  flags,  all  these  diversities  disappear  in  a 
powerful  unity ;  and,  instead  of  a  chaotic  nationality,  one 
observes  with  astonishment  a  nation  of  freemen,  whose 
hearts  beat  with  the  same  impulse  from  the  Atlantic  to 
the  Pacific  ocean ;  whose  love  of  progress  and  the  well- 
being  of  mankind  is  the  same  everywhere  ;  whose  devotion 
to  liberty  is  as  intense  on  the  borders  of  Canada  as  on  the 
summit  of  the  Rocky  Mountain's ;  and  the  marvelous  amal- 
gamating process  of  the  different  elements  which  compose 
the  population  is  carried  on  with  a  no  less  marvelous  ra- 
pidity. 

"After  settling  a  few  years  in  the  United  States,  foreign- 
ers become  proud  of  their  adopted  country,  though  retain- 
ing a  pious  remembrance  of  the  land  of  their  ancestors. 
Even  after  they  have  realized  all  their  golden  dreams,  and 
become  rich,  they  seldom  think  of  going  back  to  the  Old 
World.  Those  who  try  the  experiment  are  not  slow  to  re- 
turn to  the  United  States.  They  become  disgusted  with 
the  prejudices  and  narrow  ideas  of  Europe,  and  hasten 
to  breathe  again  the  bracing  air  of  a  continent,  providen- 


216  Asmodcus  in  New -York. 

tially  discovered  by  Columbus,  it  seems,  to  become  the 
home  of  a  race  of  men  sprung  from  all  races,  and  estab- 
lishing a  society  on  an  entirely  new  basis — on  principles 
which  are  like  a  pole-star  to  the  oppressed  nations  of  the 
Old  World ! 

"That  freedom,  enjoyed  by  the  people  and  protected  by 
institutions  which  the  masses  respect  as  they  do  their  reli- 
gion, looked  upon  with  admiration  and  envy  by  the  popula- 
tion of  Europe,  is,  no  doubt,  the  magnet  that  attracts,  every 
year,  hundreds  of  thousands  of  immigrants  to  these  shores. 
And  poor  persons  are  not  the  only  ones  who  emigrate  to 
America:  many  wealthy  farmers  leave  Europe  to  settle 
among  us.  It  has  been  ascertained  that  every  immigrant 
on  landing  is,  on  an  average,  possessed  of  one  hundred 
dollars  ;  and  you  may  figure  up  the  yearly  increase  to  our 
metallic  circulation  from  three  hundred  thousand  immi- 
grants. 

"Among  the  foreigners  daily  arriving  in  the  United  States 
there  are  some,  no  doubt,  of  depraved  habits.  But  their 
number  is  insignificant,  not  worth  speaking  of,  compared 
with  the  large  number  of  honest  farmers  and  sturdy  opera- 
tives who  come  here  to  better  their  condition.  May  we 
not  think,  besides,  that  many  of  the  former  class  have  left 
Europe  with  the  hope  and  desire  of  reforming  themselves, 
and  working  out  their  regeneration  on  American  soil  ? 

"  It  is  an  undoubted  fact  that  foreigners  on  landing  here 
feel  regenerated  and  possessed  of  a  new  strength.  The 
European  immigrant  shakes  off  the  old  man,  as  it  were, 
and  throws  aside  the  many  prejudices  with  which  his  mind 
was  imbued.  Like  all  Americans,  he  will  not  bear  con- 
trol. On  the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic,  despotic  govern- 
ments play  with  submissive  populations  the  part  attributed 
by  poets  to  God — 'Dens  ex  machina.'  And  whether  in  want 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  217 

or  in  prosperity,  those  populations  look  to  their  rulers  as  a 
guiding  star,  a  second  Providence.  Nothing  of  this  kind 
is  to  be  seen  here  ;  and  any  help  or  protection,  if  proffered 
or  imposed  by  the  government,  would  be  scornfully  reject* 
ed.  The  masses  consider  every  government  as  a  neces- 
sary evil ;  and  therefore  the  less  of  it  the  better." 

I  listened  to  Asmodeus  with  the  attention  his  keenness 
of  insight  and  observations  concerning  the  United  States 
had  provoked.  He  continued  as  follows  : 

"  The  American  Republic  could  not  escape  the  organic 
law  of  great  nationalities.  History  teaches  us  it  is  through 
long  sufferings  and  mighty  convulsions  they  achieve  their 
unity  and  conquer  their  power.  Civil  war  is  their  touch- 
stone— the  ordeal  they  have  to  undergo  in  order  to  get 
rid  of  the  heterogeneous  elements  which  impeded  their 
advance  toward  a  higher  state  of  civilization. 

"  America  was  but  yesterday  a  confederacy  of  small  sov- 
ereignties, slightly  bound  to  each  other ;  but  sectional  an- 
tagonism and  the  feudal  theory  of  State  sovereignty  have 
expired  in  the  blood  of  a  million  of  men.  The  rapid  com- 
munications established  by  railroads  and  electricity ;  the 
daily  and  multitudinous  relations  of  commerce  ;  the  equal- 
ity of  races  ;  the  uniformity  of  political  laws  and  free  labor 
everywhere,  will  maintain,  after  having  hastened  it,  the 
great  work  of  assimilating  the  many  elements  of  this  great 
republic.  All  differences  which  formerly  existed  between 
the  Northern  and  Southern  States,  between  the  mighty 
West  and  the  Middle  and  New-England  States,  have 
melted  away  beneath  the  fires  of  one  hundred  battles; 
after  fusing  in  a  bloody  crucible,  pure  metal  has  freed 
itself  from  the  scoria. 

"  The  immigrant,"  concluded  Asmodeus,  at  the  moment 
the  ferry-boat  reached  her  wharf,  "  chooses  the  profession 


218  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

or  trade  he  feels  inclined  to,  and  applies  to  it  his  faculties 
without  restraint  from  any  suspicious  law.  He  soon  per- 
ceives that  fortune  will  reward  his  energy ;  his  mind  en- 
larges, for  he  does  not  feel  that  crushing  anxiety  for  his 
daily  bread  which  paralyzes  millions  of  men  in  Europe ; 
he  knows  he  can  not  be  deprived,  in  case  of  reverses,  of 
the  fruits  of  his  labor — the  law  granting  him  the  exclusive 
use  of  property  to  the  amount  of  five  hundred  dollars  in 
some  States,  and  even  one  thousand  and  over  in  others. 
Such  property  is  not  liable  to  be  seized  or  taken  by  vir- 
tue of  any  execution  or  civil  process  whatever ;  and  that 
melancholy  sight,  so  frequent  in  Europe,  a  sale  of  furni- 
ture at  auction  by  order  of  the  sheriff,  is  a  very  rare  one 
in  the  United  States." 

We  took  the  railway-cars  to  reach  the  camp-meeting, 
which,  as  we  learned,  was  pitched  a  few  miles  off.  Dur- 
ing the  journey  I  noticed  the  deference  paid  to  females 
from  male  travelers — the  latter  offering  their  seats  without 
being  asked,  and  often  receiving  no  thanks  for  their  po- 
liteness. They  were  thus  obliged  to  stand  up  in  spacious 
cars,  which,  unlike  those  of  Europe,  are  not  divided  into 
separate  compartments.  As  no  distinction  is  recognized 
in  America,  they  are  free  to  every  body;  and,  as  a  mat- 
ter of  course,  there  is  a  uniform  rate  of  fare.  Travelers 
take  the  seats  they  prefer,  and  are  at  liberty  to  go  from 
car  to  car  at  pleasure.  I  also  observed  that  parents  are 
very  fond  of  their  children — strangers,  likewise,  take  kindly 
to  the  little  ones,  humoring  and  playing  with  them. 

Children  are,  obviously,  more  precocious  here  than  in 
Europe.  There  is  more  freedom  in  their  demeanor ;  and 
young  girls,  also,  are  conscious  they  live  in  a  free  country ; 
they  are  never  seen  with  downcast  eyes,  nun  fashion,  like 
the  young  ladies  of  good  breeding  in  Europe. 


Asmodens  in  New -York.  219 

As  I  was  admiring  the  rosy  cheeks  and  blooming  com- 
plexion of  most  of  the  female  travelers,  Asmodeus  laughed 
at  my  naivete. 

"  Many  of  those  pretty  women,"  said  he,  "  are  experts  in 
the  same  artifices  to  which,  according  to  some  morose  his- 
torians, Roman  _ ladies,  during  the  imperial  era,  devoted 
six  hours  of  every  day.  Though  American  ladies  do  not 
employ  all  the  oriental  perfumes  used  at  that  time,  they 
know  well  how  to  soften  the  roughness  of  their  skin — to 
give  it  the  fashionable  healthy  hue  and  stylish  touch. 
They  rouge  their  faces  and  dye  their  hair ;  and  were  the 
atmosphere  cruel  enough  to  rise  above  temperate  heat, 
you  would  see  a  queer  intermingling  of  blue,  white,  and 
red  pigment  on  more  than  one  of  those  charming  faces. 

"  The  men  are  generally  tall  and  lean,  and  seem  to  have 
borrowed  their  self-possessed  manners  from  the  English 
people.  The  ladies,  whether  rouged  or  not,  are  pretty 
and  graceful.  They  are  less  plump  and  fleshy  than  their 
English  cousins,  and  their  demeanor  is  free  from  that  stiff- 
ness peculiar  to  the  Anglo-Saxon  race.  Dressing,  with 
them,  is  a  passion  ;  and  whether  at  home  or  traveling,  they 
are  always  tastefully  appareled." 

As  I  had  before  remarked  their  blooming  complexion,  I 
now  noticed  the  regularity  and  whiteness  of  their  teeth. 
But  here  again  Asmodeus  unmercifully  dampened  my  ad- 
miration. 

"  In  no  country  of  the  world,"  said  he,  "  are  dentists 
more  actively  employed  in  their  art  than  in  the  United 
States,  and,  in  general,  they  are  very  skillful.  I  do  not 
doubt  that  many  of  the  ladies  around  us  have  borrowed 
their  ivory.  It  is  not  unfrequently  the  case  for  a  husband 
to  present  his  wife  with  a  set  of  artificial  teeth  for  her 
Christmas  gift.  But  joking  is  perhaps  out  of  place  here," 


?22O  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

he  added  thoughtfully ;  "  indignation,  and  pity  for  future 
generations,  should  be  more  proper  feelings.  What  sort 
of  mothers  will  those  young  girls  make,  trained,  as  they 
doubtless  are,  only  in  the  wily  art  of  beautifying  them- 
selves ?  Their  teeth,  hair,  eyebrows,  complexion,  and  very 
shape  are  a  deception  and  a  snare.  Every  thing  is  inti- 
mately connected  in  human  nature,  and  the  external  ap- 
pearance bespeaks  the  inner  thoughts  and  feelings.  One 
can  hardly  believe  that  those  pretty  dolls,  who  resort  to 
all  conceivable  subterfuges  to  captivate  the  admiration  of 
men,  will  prove  honest  wives,  dutiful  and  devoted  mothers  ! 

"  You  have  noticed  the  deference  with  which  men  treat 
the  fair  sex ;  but  you  failed,  perhaps,  to  remark  that  ladies 
bow  first  to  gentlemen.  It  is  a  consequence  of  the  gene- 
ral circumspection  of  the  people.  Should  gentlemen  ven- 
ture to  give  first  some  external  sign  of  acquaintance  with 
a  lady,  annoying  consequences  might  result.  But  ladies 
thus  permitting  a  recognition,  the  inference  is,  they  ap- 
prehend no  danger  from  the  acknowledgment. 

"  Americans  have  been  reproached  for  exaggerated  de- 
ference toward  the  fair  sex ;  but  there  is  nothing  in  it,  at 
all  events,  that  savors  of  the  fearful  corruption  which,  in 
Europe,  poisons  social  intercourse.  Here  the  courtesy 
and  attentions  of  men  are  disinterested.  That  young  man, 
for  instance,  who  has  just  picked  up  a  nosegay,  will  not 
try  to  converse  with  its  owner,  on  returning  it.  He  sets 
no  value  on  a  politeness  which,  in  his  opinion,  is  a  matter 
of  course.  Women  are  positively  worshiped  in  America. 
In  many  States,  the  law  grants  a  wife  the  right  to  own  pro- 
perty in  her  own  name,  and  such  property  is  exempt  from 
marital  control.  You  often  hear  men  candidly  admit  that 
American  ladies,  intellectually  speaking,  are  their  supe- 
riors ;  which  may  be  true,  after  all.  as  a  girl's  education  is 


Asmodeus  in  Neiv-Yotk.  221 

more  complete  than  that  of  a  boy — the  latter  early  leav- 
ing school  for  the  counting-house  or  farm.  And,  as  a  con- 
sequence of  this  superiority,  the  influence  of  American 
ladies  over  their  husbands  is  all-powerful.  It  may  often 
excite  and  keep  up  man's  energy,  but  it  is  not  less  often, 
perhaps,  the  instrument  of  his  ruin." 

Judging  from  the  external  appearance  of  all  the  per- 
sons we  saw,  one  would  think  that  every  body  in  the  United 
States  is  in  affluent  circumstances.  The  absence  of  all 
social  distinction  stamps  every  thing — the  dress,  as  well  as 
the  manners  of  the  people.  Mingling  with  millionaires 
and  traveling  in  the  same  conveyances,  the  workingman 
wants  to  be  decently  dressed,  and  does  not  fail  to  be  so. 

"  His  work  over,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  the  operative  dons 
an  unexceptionable  suit  of  clothes,  purchased,  like  those 
of  many  wealthy  men,  at  a  ready-made  clothing  store  ; 
associates  with  lawyers,  merchants,  and  ministers  of  the 
Gospel,  and  does  not  disgrace  the  company.  Speaking 
of  workingmen,  reminds  me  of  an  observation  we  heard 
yesterday,  at  Dr.  Greedy's,  concerning  manual  labor  and 
wages,  and  which,  though  emanating  from  a  madman,  ex- 
hibits a  remarkable  degree  of  acuteness  and  perceptive 
power.  The  average  of  wages,  to-day,  in  the  United 
States,  is  three  dollars  per  diem,  and  the  salary  of  ser- 
vants is  ten  dollars  per  month — at  least  in  large  cities. 
Well,  there  is  now  so  frequent  an  intercourse  between  na- 
tions, so  interwoven  are  their  relations,  that  wages  will  in- 
evitably increase  in  Europe  in  a  corresponding  ratio  with 
those  of  the  United  States.  The  emancipation  of  the 
popular  classes  consists,  in  reality,  in  a  just  remuneration 
of  labor  and  high  wages.  Democratic  institutions  create 
equality  in  politics  ;  but  they  contribute  to  establish  it 
also  in  social  conditions.  Slowly  but  infallibly,  capital's 


222  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

influence  and  prestige  are  fast  disappearing  in  America 
It  will  soon  become,  if  not  subservient  to  labor,  at  most 
but  its  equal.  Workingmen  deal  on  a  footing  of  perfect 
equality  with  the  capitalist,  who  needs  their  labor  ;  and 
the  relations  between  operatives  and  manufacturers,  ser- 
vants and  employers — in  short,  between  capital  and  labor, 
are  fast  bringing  about  a  revolution  whose  example  will 
undermine  the  social  structure  of  Europe.  It  will  uproot 
traditions  bequeathed  by  barbarian  ages,  and  transform 
for  the  better  the  miserable  condition  of  the  producers — 
that  is,  of  the  most  numerous  and  interesting  class  in  both 
hemispheres." 

All  along  the  road,  frame  houses  and  cottages  were 
to  be  seen,  all  neatly  painted,  and  many  quite  elegant 
structures. 

"  There  dwell  our  farmers,  market-gardeners,  and  arti- 
sans," said  Asmodeus.  "  The  American  likes  comfort,  and 
furnishes  his  house  with  proper  tastefulness,  because  he 
is  conscious  of  his  importance  in  the  State.  Sovereigns 
can  not  live  in  shanties.  If  you  enter  one  of  those  small 
but  clean  houses,  you  will  find  every  room  carpeted.  You 
will  be  introduced  into  a  well-furnished  parlor — a  recep- 
tion-room being  of  paramount  importance  in  all  American 
families  ;  you  will  see  in  it  a  piano — a  piece  of  furniture 
every  father  must  provide  his  daughters,  if  he  wishes  a 
peaceful  life  with  them.  In  the  far  West,  in  those  soli- 
tudes and  boundless  prairies  but  yesterday  the  home  of  the 
red  men,  the  sound  of  a  piano  is  not  unfrequently  heard  ; 
and,  as  a  consequence  of  the  increasing  demand  for  that 
musical  instrument,  piano-making  is  an  industry  second  to 
none  in  the  States.  It  is  true,  all,  with  few  exceptions,  are 
made  after  the  same  pattern,  and  by  steam  process,  but 
they  are  none  the  worse  for  that,  nor  of  less  durability." 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  223 

I  had  perceived  the  word  "  Academy "  several  times, 
and  at  different  places,  in  the  villages  we  were  traversing, 
and  it  quite  puzzled  me. 

"  The  Americans,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  like  to  magnify  tri- 
fles and  apply  grandiloquent  words  to  small  things.  The 
word  village  i£  seldom  employed  in  the  United  States — 
every  town  is  a  city,  and  the  smallest  hamlet  a  town ;  a 
rivulet  is  a  river ;  a  pedagogue  who  -teaches  grammar  to 
little  girls  and  boys  calls  his  school  an  academy  ;  and  even 
the  barber  sometimes  gives  that  name  to  his  shop.  You 
can  now  understand  how  so  many  signs  delight  in  ambi- 
tious expressions." 

We  had  now  arrived  at  a  railway  station,  a  short  distance 
from  which  was  a  camp-meeting — that  is,  an  assemblage 
of  members  of  a  religious  sect,  who,  during  the  summer 
months,  camp  far  from  cities,  in  a  secluded  spot,  and  de- 
vote themselves  to  religious  exercises.  Camp-meetings,  I 
was  informed,  originated  in  the  far  West,  where  pioneers, 
too  busy  with  the  work  of  clearing  up,  had  no  time  to 
build  churches,  and  therefore  congregated  to  worship  God 
under  the  canopy  of  heaven.  That  we  were  visiting  was 
pitched  on  a  hill,  in  a  mountainous  district  enjoying  a 
bracing  atmosphere.  About  two  thousand  persons  of  the 
Methodist  persuasion  had  accompanied  their  pastor  there, 
and,  a  few  days  after,  an  equal  number  of  Baptists  had 
joined  them.  The  two  sects  agreed  very  well  together; 
every  thing  was  conducted  harmoniously,  the  hours  for  re- 
ligious exercises  having  been  arranged  to  the  mutual  con- 
venience of  both  denominations.  Elegant  tents  had  been 
pitched  on  the  hill,  and  disposed  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
form  several  pathways.  Each  of  these  tents  was  provided 
with  a  carpet,  and  ornamented  with  wreaths  of  flowers  and 
foliage.  In  the  centre  of  this  canvas  town,  a  tent  of  very 


224  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

large  size  had  been  erected,  where  preaching  and  praying 
were  to  be  carried  on  ;  and  further,  on  a  plot  of  ground 
had  been  appropriated  for  the  diversions  of  the  faithful 
after  religious  exercises  had  been  completed.  The  campites 
were  just  betaking  themselves  to  that  plot  when  we  arrived, 
and  the  air  soon  became  enlivened  by  the  soft  strains  of 
a  band  engaged  for  the  occasion.  Both  Methodists  and 
Baptists,  with  hundreds  of  friends  and  relatives  of  both 
sexes  visiting  the  camp,  indulged  in  Terpsichorean  exer- 
cises ;  and  three  hundred  young  men  and  as  many  young 
ladies  enjoyed  the  dance  with  an  enthusiasm  the  band  did 
its  best  to  keep  alive.  I  remarked  that  the  waltz  and 
polka  were  favorite  dances  ;  and  Asmodeus  ventured  to 
predict,  on  seeing  lovely  girls  voluptuously  leaning  on  their 
partners'  shoulders,  that  more  than  one  among  them  would, 
for  several  months,  dream  of  that  delightful  entertainment. 

At  intervals,  and  when  dancing  was  suspended,  gentle- 
men availed  themselves  of  the  interruption  to  take  ladies 
to  saloons  and  restaurants,  where  ice-cream  and  other  re- 
freshments could  be  procured.  There  were  about  half  a 
dozen  of  those  establishments,  well  patronized  by  all  con- 
cerned. Wines  and  liquors  could  not,  at  least  ostensibly, 
be  procured  at  any  price. 

"Good  diversions  are  wanting  in  the  United  States," 
said  Asmodeus,  "  and  so  the  Americans  seize  every  oppor- 
tunity and  resort  to  every  means  to  amuse  themselves. 
Camp-meetings  are  but  a  pretext,  for  many  of  them,  to 
devote  a  few  weeks  to  the  pleasures  and  relaxations  of 
country  life  during  the  summer  months.  They  pray  in 
the  morning,  listen  to  a  couple  of  sermons  in  the  course  of 
the  day,  and  wind  up  with  an  evening  prayer.  But,  in  the 
mean  time,  when  praying  and  preaching  are  over,  they 
make  excursions  through  the  mountains  ;  visit  some  natu- 


Asmodeus  in  Neiv-York.  22$ 

ral  curiosity ;  form  singing  bands,  or  amuse  themselves 
with  dancing.  These  meetings  also  furnish  occasion  for 
young  men  to  meet  pretty  girls,  with  whom  they  fall  in  love  : 
and  it  so  happens  that  many  weddings  take  place  after 
every  camp-meeting." 

Though  very  animated,  the  dancing  was  remarkable 
for  its  decorum.  I  could  observe  among  the  dancers  no 
disorderly  conduct,  no  exaggerated  gesture,  no  Terpsicho- 
rean  audacity,  such  as  often  give  to  a  country  ball  in  Europe 
the  appearance  of  a  riotous  assemblage  of  demented  per- 
sons. A  young  American  dancing  with  a  girl  he  perhaps 
intends  to  marry  treats  her  with  becoming  respect. 

"  And  nights,"  I  asked  Asmodeus, "  how  are  they  spent  ?" 

"Very  quietly,  indeed.  Wearied  with  the  varied  labor 
and  amusements  of  the  day,  the  campites  sleep  soundly  ; 
and  I  may  add,  to  be  more  explicit,  ladies  retire  to  rest  in 
tents  separated  from  those  of  the  other  sex.  Their  fathers 
and  brothers  constantly  patrol  the  grounds  and  watch  over 
the  objects  of  their  love.  Husbands  themselves,  as  long 
as  the  meeting  lasts,  are  excluded  from  the  tents  occupied 
by  their  wives.  The  slightest  outrage  to  decency  would 
be  severely  punished  ;  but  it  is  very  seldom,  indeed,  that 
religious  festivals  are  disturbed  by  scandal." 

But  dancing  had  now  ended  ;  and  the  Methodists,  at  the 
sound  of  a  bell,  congregated  under  the  large  tent  in  the 
centre  of  the  camp-ground.  A  great  preacher  had  come 
from  New- York,  and  a  masterpiece  of  oratory  was  confi- 
dently expected.  Young  ladies  laid  aside  their  wreaths  of 
flowers,  and,  accompanied  by  their  partners  and  parents, 
repaired  to  the  spot  consecrated  to  prayer.  We  did  like  the 
others,  and  arrived  at  the  moment  when  the  air  resounded 
with  a  hymn  of  rejoicing.  Male  and  female,  old  and 
young,  sang  together ;  and  though  the  ear  was,  from  time 


226  Asmodens  in  New -York. 

to  time,  offended  by  a  discordant  note,  the  whole  was  not 
lacking  in  enthusiasm  and  grandeur.  Praying  in  the  open 
air  is  always  more  impressive  than  in  the  narrow  precincts 
of  a  church. 

At  last,  the  Methodist  preacher  ascended  the  platform 
erected  for  the  occasion.  He  commenced  by  reviewing 
the  history  of  Methodism  in  the  United  States  since  1766, 
when  a  few  emigrants,  after  adopting  the  doctrines  of  the 
founders  of  that  sect — the  brothers  Wesley — formed  a  re- 
ligious society,  which  congregated  in  the  shop  of  a  car- 
penter— Philip  Embury.  That  shop  was  situated  in  Bar- 
rack street,  near  the  present  New- York  City  Hall.  He 
then  enjoined  his  hearers  .to  do  good  of  every  kind,  and, 
as  far  as  possible,  to  all  men,  but  especially  to  those  of  their 
own  faith.  All  at  once,  he  began  to  denounce,  in  fervid 
tones,  the  oppressors  of  mankind,  the  holders  in  slavery 
of  their  fellow-creatures ;  and  he  proposed  to  open  a  sub- 
scription among  the  campites,  to  supply  the  oppressed  with 
weapons,  adding  that  he  would  himself  head  the  list  of 
subscribers  for  so  holy  a  purpose,  and  give  five  hundred 
dollars  for  the  purchase  of  rifles.  After  this  unexpected  ex- 
plosion of  Christian  charity,  he  spoke  of  one  living  and  true 
God,  everlasting,  without  body  or  part,  of  infinite  power,  wis- 
dom, and  goodness,  the  Maker  of  all  things  visible  and  in- 
visible •  of  the  Son  of  God,  very  man  and  very  God,  who  truly 
suffered,  was  crucified,  died,  and  was  buried,  to  reconcile 
his  Father  to  earth,  and  to  be  a  sacrifice,  not  only  for  origi- 
nal guilt,  but  also  for  all  the  sins  of  men.  He  warmed 
up  so  much  with  his  subject,  that  the  congregation  was  soon 
deeply  affected.  Old  women  moaned  and  sobbed  ;  young 
ladies,  when  the  minister  terminated  his  sermon,  reeled  to 
and  fro,  and  shrieked  ;  and  some,  after  staggering  awhile, 
fell  to  the  ground  as  in  a  fit ;  while  others,  violently  beat- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York,  227 

ing  themselves,  and  pulling  their  hair,  raved  like  insane 
persons.  A  few,  amid  sobs,  accused  themselves  of  imagin- 
ary offenses  against  chastity;  and  others,  again,  under  the 
influence  of  spiritual  light,  said  they  were  penetrated  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,  and  were  even  then  beholding  him.  One 
of  the  members  of  the  church  very  properly  took  upon 
himself  to  sing  a  hymn  ;  others  joined  him,  and  though 
the  enraptured  meeting  discarded  all  method,  their  strains 
had  the  effect  to  end  a  somewhat  painful  scene. 

We  thought  the  services  had  concluded,  and  were  on  the 
point  of  leaving  the  tent,  when  an  emaciated  personage  as- 
cended the  platform  the  former  powerful  Methodist  preacher 
had  just  left.  Silence  was  at  once  restored  among  the  au- 
dience on  seeing  the  new  speaker,  a  well-known  advocate 
of  temperance.  After  reminding  the  Methodists  that  the 
only  condition  of  membership  was  a  desire  to  flee  the 
wrath  to  come  and  be  saved  from  sin,  he  said  that  when 
the  brothers  Wesley  originated  their  society,  they  drew  up  a 
set  of  rules  inspired  by  divine  wisdom.  They  prohibited 
profane  swearing,  Sabbath-breaking,  quarreling,  fighting, 
brother  going  to  law  with  brother,  the  using  many  words 
in  buying  or  selling,  wearing  of  gold  or  costly  apparel, 
borrowing  without  the  probability  of  returning,  or  buying 
goods  without  the  certainty  of  paying  for  them.  He  then 
arrived  at  the  most  important  of  the  rules — that  which  pro- 
hibits drunkenness,  buying  or  selling  spirituous  liquors,  or 
drinking  them,  and  gave  an  awful  picture  of  the  results 
of  intemperate  habits,  and  of  the  crimes  and  miseries  they 
entail  upon  society.  He  next  expatiated  on  the  manifold 
and  beneficent  results  of  his  labors,  and  congratulated 
himself  on  the  holy  mission  to  which  he  had  devoted  his 
energy,  his  health,  his  very  life.  At  that  point,  he  quite 
unexpectedly  rambled  about  the  method  to  avert  the  use 


228  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

and  abuse  of  spirituous  liquors — saying  that  the  latter  only 
was  pernicious,  and,  quaintly  enough,  commending  brandy. 
"  The  peculiar  aroma  and  taste  of  wine-brandy,"  he  said, 
"  make  it  really  a  delicious  drink.  Holy  men  only,  in  the 
laboratory  of  their  silent  cloisters,  could  discover  the 
means  to  distill  it  from  the  juice  of  the  grape  ;  and  its 
qualities  really  afford,  in  many  cases,  instant  relief  to 
patients.  I  myself  derive  much  benefit  from  its  use — not 
its  abuse,  mind  you — and  through  it  I  am  enabled  to  sus- 
tain my  enfeebled  system,  and  pursue  my  holy  work  !" 

So  saying,  this  temperance  advocate,  thoroughly  over- 
come, sank  down  upon  the  platform  ;  and  the  congregation, 
struck  with  admiration  for  a  man  thus  devoting  his  health 
and  very  life  to  the  propagation  of  temperance  principles, 
arose  and  departed  in  various  directions. 

"  I  am  often  inclined  to  think,"  said  Asmodeus,  while 
we  were  sauntering  along,  that  there  is  much  hypocrisy  in 
the  American  character.  For  instance,  that  temperance 
advocate  is  an  inveterate  drunkard  ;  but,  like  many  others, 
he  cloaks  his  love  for  alcoholic  drinks  under  the  pretense 
of  ill-health.  He  candidly  believes,  perhaps,  after  repeat- 
ing it  so  often,  that  they  recuperate  his  system,  while  they 
are,  in  reality,  the  cause  of  his  declining  health.  You 
meet  many  Americans  who  drink  only  water  when  away 
from  home — boasting,  at  every  opportunity,  of  their  sober- 
ness. Their  family  does  not  even  know  they  are  addicted 
to  the  vice  of  drinking.  Still,  you  can  discern  on  their 
faces,  every  morning,  the  havoc  which  strong  liquors  are 
making,  as  they  have  undoubtedly  spent  a  portion  of  the 
night  m  imbibing  ;  for  indeed,  there  is  in  a  secret  corner 
of  their  house  a  stock  of  favorite  liquors. 

"  Neither  is  there  any  doubt  that  outward  demonstra- 
tions of  religious  zeal  are  often  resorted  to  by  many  Ame- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  229 

ricans  for  mere  show,  to  make  an  impression  upon  the 
world.  A  member  of  a  religious  denomination  has  more 
chances  to  enjoy  good  credit  than  an  infidel — a  name 
sometimes  applied  here  to  those  who  do  not  externally 
practice  any  religion.  And  not  a  few  merchants  occupy  at 
their  church,  every  Sunday,  the  pew  near  that  of  the  presi- 
dent of  their  bank,  with  the  expectation  to  find  the  latter 
more  accommodating  the  next  day,  when  they  present 
their  notes  at  the  discounting-desk. 

"  I  candidly  admit,  however,  that  religious  feeling  is 
deeply  rooted  in  the  American  mind  ;  and  it  is  to  a  great 
majority,  principally  among  country  people,  a  bulwark 
against  dishonest  temptations  and  corrupting  influences. 
Since  the  establishment  of  the  Republic,  religion  has  been, 
in  the  United  States,  a  most  remarkable  feature  of  the  na- 
tional character,  and  its  spirit  has  penetrated  political  as  well 
as  civil  institutions.  There  is  no  national  church,  and  the 
union  of  any  church  with  the  state  was  so  much  dreaded 
by  the  framers  of  the  Constitution  that  they  prohibited  Con- 
gress from  enacting  any  law  respecting  religious  matters. 
Every  creed  is,  therefore,  perfectly  free  ;  and  with  this 
freedom  of  conscience,  all  sects,  all  forms  of  worshiping 
God,  have  been  established.  The  want  of  state  interfe- 
rence in  religious  matters  can  not  be  considered  as  a  symp- 
tom of  indifference  or  lukewarmness  ;  for,  on  the  contrary, 
statistics  demonstrate,  that  in  no  part  of  the  world  is  so 
large  a  portion  of  the  people  devoted  to  the  worship  of 
God.  Nowhere  are  churches,  too,  so  numerous,  consider- 
ing the  number  of  inhabitants  ;  and  in  no  other  place  are 
ministers  of  the  Gospel  so  liberally  compensated,  though 
their  salaries  are  derived  from  voluntary  contributions. 

"  Though  no  religious  sect  is  specially  acknowledged 
and  favored  by  the  state,  the  Christian  religion  is  consi- 


230  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

dered,  either  by  State  legislation  or  by  court  decisions,  as 
a  part  of  the  common  law.  Hence,  the  enforcing  of  a  pro- 
per observance  of  the  Sabbath,  in  most  of  the  States,  though 
it  is  in  contradiction  to  the  religious  freedom  recommen- 
ded by  the  framers  of  the  Constitution. 

"Perhaps  intolerance  is  a  latent  disease  with  Ameri 
cans  by  birth  of  the  Protestant  faith.  At  least,  to  many  of 
them  there  is  no  salvation  outside  the  Methodist  and  Bap- 
tist churches.  Religious  truth  can  only  be  found  there, 
and  to  seek  for  it  elsewhere  is  equivalent,  in  their  ^opinion, 
to  an  act  of  treason  against  the  American  cause  and 
American  interests*  It  may  be  doubted  whether  any  creed 
would  be  tolerated  whose  principles  were  not  derived  from 
the  Bible.  Even  those  sects  whose  religions  are  based  on 
that  book,  outside  of  the  four  great  Protestant  denomina- 
tions— the  Methodists,  Episcopalians,  Baptists,  and  Pres- 
byterians— think  it  wise  to  remain  quiet,  for  fear  of  excit- 
ing envy  and  suspicion.  Roman  Catholics,  for  many  years, 
have  also  thought  it  prudent  to  keep  in  the  back-ground, 
not  unmindful  that  Americans  of  the  Protestant  faith  in- 
tensely dislike  them.  Only  a  few  years  ago,  the  Republic 
barely  escaped  the  scourge  of  a  violent  and  practical  in- 
tolerance. But  for  several  millions  of  Catholic  immi- 
grants, persecution,  perhaps,  would  have  emanated  from 
the  masses,  and  not  from  the  government,  as  in  Europe, 
two  centuries  ago.  Fortunately,  all  animosities  soon  sub- 
sided, and  as  things  are  at  present,  one  can  not  help  ad- 
miring the  unprecedented  spectacle  of  all  sects,  all  religious 
denominations,  all  forms  of  worshiping  God,  quietly  sid- 
ing by  each  other,  and  developing  themselves  under  the 
canopy  of  freedom." 

At  this  point  of  Asmodeus's  remarks,  we  observed  many 
vast  gardens.  Flowers  and  medicinal  plants  of  every  de- 


Asmodcus  in  New -York.  231 

scription  were  cultivated  with  a  wonderful  perfection,  and 
the  atmosphere  was  filled  with  refreshing  aroma.  And  be- 
fore us  was  an  orchard,  of  many  acres,  whose  innumera- 
ble trees  were  overloaded  with  delicious  fruits. 

"  Upon  my  word,"  exclaimed  Asmodeus,  "  in  all  the 
United  States,  the  Shakers  only  till  the  land  with  such 
pleasant  neatness,  and  raise  vegetables  and  fruits  in  such 
abundance.  A  friend  of  mine,  tired  of  the  world,  recently 
buried  himself  in  that  retreat.  I  must  go  and  shake  hands 
with  him." 

I  followed  Asmodeus,  and  we  entered  a  spacious  dwell- 
ing, divided  by  a  wide  hall.  Asmodeus's  friend  kindly 
welcomed  us,  and  gave  us  valuable  information  concerning 
the  community : 

"This  building,"  said  he,  "divided,  as  you  see,  into  two 
distinct  parts,  is  capable  of  accommodating  one  hundred 
and  fifty  inmates.  The  male  members  occupy  one,  and  the 
female  the  other.  The  society  possesses  a  considerable 
tract  of  land,  averaging  nearly  seven  acres  to  each  mem- 
ber. We  believe  idleness  to  be  sinful,  and  hence  every 
Shaker  who  is  able  to  work  is  employed  in  some  labor. 
The  culture  of  flowers,  herbs,  fruits,  and  vegetables,  is  a 
favorite  business  with  us.  We  supply  druggists  and  physi- 
cians of  the  Union  with  dried  herbs  and  medicinal  extracts. 
The  brooms,  so  much  appreciated  by  housekeepers,  are 
also  made  in  our  houses.  For,  independently  of  this  set- 
tlement, we  have  several  others  in  the  States — the  num- 
ber of  Shakers  being,  to-day,  at  least  five  thousand. 
Though  our  land  is  always  in  excellent  condition,  every 
thing  else  is  no  less  neat  and  attractive  in  our  storehouses 
and  buildings,  adapted  to  mechanical  and  dairy  pur- 
poses ;  in  fact,  contentment  everywhere  reigns." 

He  then  conducted  us  to   those  buildings  and  store- 


232  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

houses  he  had  mentioned,  where  we  wondered  at  the  great 
variety  and  abundance  of  products  they  contained,  arrang- 
ed in  the  most  orderly  manner.  We  also  saw  a  school- 
house  for  the  children  that  Shakers  adopt,  which  was  well 
supplied  with  apparatus  and  books  ;  and  finally,  we  were 
shown  a  meeting-house  or  hall. 

"The  temporalities  of  each  family,"  said  Asmodeus's 
friend,  "  are  cared  for  by  two  deacons  and  two  deaconesses. 
There  are  three  classes  of  members — first,  the  novitiates, 
who,  receiving  the  doctrines  of  the  Shakers,  still  prefer  to 
reside  with  their  own  families,  and  manage  their  own  tem- 
poral concerns  for  a  time.  Second,  the  junior  class,  com- 
posed of  persons  who  have  become  members  of  a  Shaker 
community,  and  unite  in  their  labors  and  religious  exer- 
cises, but  who  have  not  relinquished  their  property  to  the 
society  ;  third,  the  senior  class,  embracing  those  who  vol- 
untarily consecrate  themselves,  their  services,  and  all  their 
property  to  the  society,  never  to  be  reclaimed  by  them  or 
their  legal  heirs.  No  difference  is  made,  on  account  of 
the  amount  of  property  any  individual  may  have  contri- 
buted ;  all  members  are  amply  provided  for,  in  health, 
sickness,  and  old  age  ;  and,"  Asmodeus's  friend  proudly 
remarked,  in  this  connection,  "  the  Shakers  are  the  only 
people  who  have  maintained,  for  nearly  a  century,  a  sys- 
tem of  living  the  fundamental  principle  of  which  is  the 
community  of  property. 

"  The  business  to  which  Shakers  devote  their  lives,"  he 
added,  "  seems  highly  favorable  to  health,  the  average  of 
longevity  among  them  being  fifty  years.  We  do  not  marry, 
and  have  no  sexual  intercourse.  We  do  not  mind  politics, 
are  opposed  to  war  and  bloody  conflict,  and  try  to  live  at 
peace  with  all  men. 

"Respecting  our  religious  creed,  we  hold  that  God  is 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  233 

dual — there  being  an  eternal  Father  and  Mother  in  the 
Deity,  the  heavenly  Parents  of  all  angelic  and  human  be- 
ings, and  that  the  revelation  of  God  is  progressive.  We 
hold  Christ  to  be  also  dual,  male  and  female,  a  supermun- 
dane being.  Mother  Anne  Lee,  by  strictly  obeying  the 
light  revealed  in  her,  became  righteous,  even  as  Jesus  was 
righteous.  -She  formed  the  same  character  as  a  spiritual 
woman  that  he  did  as  a  spiritual  man — the  necessity  for  a 
second  appearance  of  Christ,  in  the  female  form,  resulting 
from  the  female  nature  of  Christ  and  the  Deity." 

The  worthy  Shaker  was  just  beginning  to  state  that 
they  recognize  four  cycles  of  religious  progress,  and  also 
four  heavens  and  four  hells — the  first  three  being  places 
of  probation — when  the  bell  rang  for  the  Shakers'  religious 
exercises. 

We  went  to  the  meeting-house,  and  observed  that  their 
mode  of  worship  is  peculiar,  as  in  it  is  combined  the  exercise 
of  both  soul  and  body.  The  two  sexes  were  arranged  in 
ranks  facing  each  other,  the  front  ranks  about  six  feet 
apart.  One  of  the  elders  delivered  an  address  upon  a 
doctrinal  subject ;  after  which  they  sang  a  hymn  ;  then  they 
formed  in  circles  around  a  band  of  male  and  female  sing- 
ers, to  the  strains  of  whom  they  went  forth,  in  merry  dan- 
ces, and  manifested,  in  that  way,  their  religious  zeal.  Soon 
the  fervency  and  excitement  of  the  Shakers  became  very 
great ;  their  bodily  evolutions,  while  maintaining  the  order 
and  regularity  of  the  dance  and  tunes,  grew  inconceivably 
rapid,  and  they  advanced,  receded,  and  turned  about  with 
a  vertiginous  velocity. 

"  They  begin,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  to  experience  the  im- 
mediate influence  of  spiritual  agency,  both  of  angels  and 
the  departed  members  of  their  own  fraternity  who  have 
advanced  further  than  those  still  in  the  body,  in  the  work 


234  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

of  the  resurrection,  or  redemption  from  the  generative  na- 
ture and  order.  But  let  us  go.  We  have  nothing  more  to 
do  here  among  these  extravagant  fanatics. 

"  All  systems,  all  theories,  all  follies,  have  free  scope  in 
the  United  States,"  pursued  Asmodeus,  after  we  had  left 
the  Shaker  settlement.  "  Besides  the  hundreds  of  theo- 
logical creeds  and  religious  sects,  which  have  sprung  from 
the  various  interpretations  of  the  Bible,  there  are  many 
social  systems  in  existence  and  in  course  of  experiment. 
In  all  ages  of  the  world  and  in  every  civilized  nation,  good 
or  visionary  men  have  devised,  and  attempted  to  put  into 
practice  new  schemes  of  social  life — convinced  that  the 
methods  society  has  adopted  for  the  distribution  of  the 
bounties  of  heaven  are  deficient.  With  a  people  so  fond 
of  progress  and  novelty  as  the  Americans,  Robert  Owen, 
Charles  Fourier,  and  Saint  Simon  could  not  fail  to  find 
enthusiastic  disciples.  The  government  does  not  interfere 
with  the  plans  and  experiments  of  social  regeneration.  It 
wisely  believes  that  time  and  a  free  Press  are  sufficient 
to  help  consign  bad  ones  to  oblivion  and  secure  the  tri- 
umph of  those  which  may  procure  to  each  person  the  full- 
est, or  a  fuller,  satisfaction  of  his  wants.  Even  toward 
the  Mormons,  who  boldly  acknowledge  and  practice  the 
right  of  a  plurality  of  wives,  the  government  maintains  an 
attitude  of  expectation  ;  though  fanatical  advisers  have 
more  than  once  demanded  the  intervention  of  the  Federal 
authority  to  blot  out  the  system  of  Brigham  Young  and  his 
followers.  Up  to  this  day  —  and  for  all  time  to  come,  let 
us  hope — the  government  has  depended  on  the  march  of 
civilization  for  the  destruction  of  insane  or  hypocritical  sec- 
tarians or  reformers." 

"But,"  I   asked  Asmodeus,    "how   are   these   Shaker 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  235 

communities  recruited — marriage  being  forbidden  among 
them  ? 

"  They  are  exclusively  recruited  from  accessions  from 
without;  by  the  children  they  adopt,  and  thoroughly  edu- 
cate, as  my  Shaker  friend  lately  remarked ;  by  bachelors 
and  spinsters,  tired  of  the  turmoil  of  large  cities.  But  they 
lead  a  spiritual  life,  free  from  all  carnal  indulgence ;  they 
rise  above  the  order  of  natural  and  innocent  human  repro- 
duction, which,  they  say,  may  be  proper  enough  for  the 
children  of  this  world ;  but,  as  for  themselves,  being  the 
children  of  the  resurrection,  they  are  daily  dying  to  the 
generative  nature  ;  and  thus  are  better  enabled  to  com- 
prehend the  mysteries  of  God. 

"  It  has  been  more  than  once  hinted^  I  know,  that  some 
young  Shakers  of  both  sexes  do  not  wait  for  celestial  joys, 
and  so  find  means  to  procure  those  of  our  own  planet. 
But  evil-tongued  persons  are  to  be  found  everywhere ;  and 
whether  the  love  of  Shakers  for  spiritual  life  is  sincere  or 
not,  the  fact  remains  the  same.  They  do  not  marry — at 
least,  ostensibly. 

"  Were  it  not  so  late  in  the  day,  I  would  take  you  to  the 
settlement  of  a  new  sect,  not  very  far  off,  and  which  numbers 
a  few  hundred  novitiates.  These  sectarians,  like  the  Shak- 
ers, give  special  attention  to  the  culture  of  medicinal  plants, 
fruits,  and  vegetables,  and  their  preserves  are  well  appre- 
ciated in  and  out  of  the  States.  Like  the  Shakers,  also, 
they  live  in  celibacy  —  though  I  am  not  sure  they  are  free 
from  lust  and  sexual  indulgence.  They  do  not  marry,  be- 
cause they  consider  civil  or  religious  marriage  a  superflu- 
ous ceremony,  a  barbarian  custom,  in  violation  of  all  human 
freedom.  They  decline,  in  consequence,  to  bind  them- 
selves by  matrimonial  bonds.  These  Free-Lovers,  as  they 
are  called,  have  meetings  eveiy  evening,  in  a  spacious  hall, 


236  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

after  labor  hours  ;  and  there,  after  expounding  some  doc- 
trinal point,  they  confess  aloud  their  most  secret  thoughts 
and  feelings.  Their  theological  creed,  as  well  as  their 
practices,  are  as  yet  enveloped  in  mystery.  Enough  is 
known,  however,  to  warrant  the  assertion  that  material- 
ism is  queerly  associated,  in  their  doctrine,  with  spiritual 
illumination.  A  point  of  it  which  is  clear  enough  is 
that  concerning  love,  which,  in  their  judgment,  must  be 
progressive,  like  every  thing  else.  They  mean  that  young 
persons  of  both  sexes  must  have  an  apprenticeship  in  love, 
as  in  any  other  business.  As  a  consequence,  old  men  have 
the  charge  of  training  young  girls  in  love  affairs,  and  old 
ladies  attend  to  boys  who  have  arrived  at  puberty.  It 
would  not  be  surprising  if  the  new  religion  should  rapidly 
spread  among  lewd  persons  of  both  sexes.  Concerning  the 
manner  in  which  Free-Lovers  of  the  male  gender  choose 
their  female  partners,  after  oral  confessions  are  over,  is  an 
obscure  point  of  their  doctrine  which  the  initiated  keep  to 
themselves. 

"  Situated  in  a  charming  valley,  the  Free-Lovers'  settle- 
ment was,  at  first,  an  object  of  uneasiness  to,  and  of  an  anxi- 
ous watchfulness  from,  the  neighboring  country  people,  slow 
to  understand  the  mysteries  of  progressive  love.  And  it  was 
apprehended,  for  a  time,  that  the  new  sectarians  would 
call  down  upon  them  their  neighbors'  hostility.  But  their 
quiet  demeanor,  their  proficiency  in  agriculture,  the  bene- 
fits they  conferred  on  the  country,  soon  dispelled  that  hos- 
tility. There  are  about  three  hundred  of  them  living,  it 
appears,  happy  and  prosperous  together.  In  fact,  the 
prosperity  of  their  original  settlement  has  been  such  as  to 
enable  them  to  establish  branches  of  their  society  in  two  or 
three  neighboring  States. 

"  Singularly  enough,  the  founder  of  this  sect  was  a  minis- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  237 

ter  of  the  Gospel,  having  several  children  ;  and,  not  less 
singular,  the  first  disciple  converted  to  his  doctrines  was 
his  wife.  His  supposed  revelations  and  a  remarkable  busi- 
ness capacity  have  secured  him  a  comfortable  situation 
and  affluence,  besides  the  influence  he  enjoys  among  his 
followers — a  gratifying  result  for  any  reformer,  whether  he 
be  an  honest  theorist  or  simply  a  charlatan. 

"  If  you  closely  scrutinize  their  motives,  you  will  discern 
that,  in  nineteen  cases  out  of  twenty,  the  desire  to  make 
money  is  the  main  incentive  of  most  modern  reformers — at 
least  in  the  United  States.  And  whether  derived  from  the 
Bible  or  not,  the  most  impracticable  schemes,  the  most  ex- 
travagant Utopian  mysticisms,  the  most  revolting  systems, 
are  sure  to  find  partisans  and  disciples  in  a  country  whose 
people  are  ever  fond  of  new  sensations,  and  whose  laws 
are  wise  enough  to  allow  charlatans  to  sell,  and  fools  to  buy, 
drolleries  and  trash  of  every  description." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

SHOWS  HOW  AND  WHERE  THE  GOOD  PEOPLE  OF  NEW- 
YORK  PASS  THEIR  EVENINGS  AND  SPEND  THEIR  MONEY, 
WITH  LITTLE  PROFIT  TO  THEIR  MORALS. 

|T  was  quite  dark  when  we  reached  the  great 
metropolis  of  the  United  States.  The  streets 
devoted  to  trade  were  quite  deserted,  and  we 
met  only  a  few  policemen  passing  up  and  down 
on  their  beat.  New- York  merchants,  I  was  told,  do  not 
reside  in  the  business  parts  of  the  city ;  they  keep  their 
offices  there  only.  Many  of  them  live  far  from  New- 
York  ;  hence,  the  great  thoroughfares  are  crowded  morn- 
ing and  evening  by  thousands  and  thousands  of  pedes- 
trians, going  down  or  up-town.  After  business  hours, 
stores  and  offices  are  watched  over  by  patrolmen  ;  they  do 
not  sleep  inside,  as  fire  insurance  companies  prefer  the 
buildings  to  be  left  without  inmates  after  working  hours. 
Clerks  and  other  employees  also  reside  up-town,  or  in 
neighboring  localities  ;  and  Asmodeus  observed  that  many 
a  poor  family  would  find  decent  lodgings  in  the  upper 
floors  of  hundreds  of  those  marble  buildings,  which  are, 
to-day,  the  recipients  of  empty  boxes.  What  comfort 
might  not  thousands  of  operatives,  now  confined  with  their 
families  in  damp  cellars,  or  crowding  squalid  tenement- 
houses,  find  in  those  buildings,  thus  deserted  during  the 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  239 

night  Nay,  how  many  merchants  might  fit  up  for 
themselves  a  nice  suit  of  apartments  within  those  very 
buildings  where  they  keep  their  goods  or  offices,  did  not 
the  fashion  of  the  day  demand  they  must  reside  far  from 
business  localities. 

But  if  the  lower  portion  of  the  city  looked  like  a  soli- 
tude, it  was  not  so  with  the  upper  part  of  it.  Theatres, 
restaurants,  and  hundreds  of  pleasure  resorts  were  crowded 
with  persons.  About  twenty  theatres,  including  minstrel- 
halls,  are  opened  to  the  public  every  night,  and  the  opera 
and  the  drama  are  there  interpreted  in  divers  pleasing 
ways  to  suit  all  tastes.  As  regards  drinking-saloons,  their 
number  is  beyond  calculation. 

"A  few  years  ago,"  said  Asmodeus,  "the  number  of  res- 
taurants and  liquor-saloons  was  rather  limited ;  eatables 
and  other  refreshments  could  be  procured  in  public  hotels 
only.  There  were,  it  is  true,  a  few  eating-houses,  located 
in  damp  basements  ;  but  their  dirty  appearance  and  offen- 
sive smell  were  not  calculated  to  attract  many  guests.  A 
great  change  has  taken  place  ;  bachelors  now  live  after  the 
Parisian  fashion  ;  they  rent  furnished  rooms,  and  take  their 
meals  at  some  restaurant. 

"  The  number  of  restaurants  or  dining-saloons  is  now 
larger  than  that  of  the  French  capital ;  and  New- York  can 
boast  of  a  few  which,  for  their  luxury  in  every  particular, 
may  well  challenge  comparison." 

"  What  are  those  places  we  meet  at  almost  every  step, 
from  which  issue  musical  strains  ?"  ' 

"  They  are  concert-saloons — a  new  feature  of  the  metro- 
polis— I  might  say,  of  the  country:  bar-rooms,  where  an 
orchestra  delights  the  frequenters  while  enjoying  some  of 
the  one  hundred  and  fifty  beverages  in  vogue  in  the  States. 
We  .are  mainly  indebted  to  Germany  for  that  novelty.  The 


240  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

custom  of  drinking  under  green  arbors  or  umbrageous  trees, 
was  brought  from  that  country;  but  with  this  difference — 
the  drinkers  here,  instead  of  enjoying  themselves  under  sha- 
dy trees,  are  crowded  in  dingy,  badly-ventilated  basements, 
whose  walls  are  sometimes  highly  painted  to  represent 
magnificent  gardens,  lawns,  rocky  retreats,  etc.  Nobody 
would  resort  to  them,  were  liquors,  or  even  music,  their 
only  attraction.  But,  as  I  have  said,  they  have  become  a 
feature  of  New- York,  and  as  such  they  deserve  a  passing 
examination." 

By  a  long  flight  of  steps,  we  entered  one  of  those  concert- 
saloons,  which,  according  to  the  sign,  promised  to  be  a 
spacious  and  shady  garden.  But,  as  Asmodeus  had  said, 
the  walls  alone  represented  the  garden  in  highly  inflamed 
patches  of  red,  green,  and  yellow  paint.  Hardly  inside, 
we  were  almost  suffocated  with  the  fumes  of  liquor  and 
smoke  of  meerschaums  and  cigars.  To  be  sure,  the  place 
was  handsomely  fitted  up,  and  crowded  with  visitors — a 
number  of  what  they  call  "pretty  waiter-girls"  flitting 
about  among  the  customers,  and  laughing  and  loudly  talk- 
ing with  them.  A  piano-player,  wildly  thumping  and 
banging  upon  a  cracked  and  hideously  wiry  instrument,  the 
rattling  of  glasses,  moving  of  chairs  and  tables — all  con- 
tributed to  bewilder  and  madden  me  with  the  discordant 
tumult,  and  I  was  on  the  point  of  leaving  that  pandemo- 
nium, when  Asmodeus  prevailed  upon  me  to  stay. 

It  may  be  doubted  whether  our  retreat  could  have  been 
successfully  effected ;  and  Xenophon's  strategy,  perhaps, 
might  itself  have  failed  in  the  attempt.  For,  on  entering, 
we  had  been  surrounded  and  coaxed  to  take  refreshments 
by  a  dozen  "  pretty  waiter-girls,"  and  they  importuned  us 
so  persistently  that,  to  get  rid  of  them,  we  gave  our  orders. 
So  we  took  our  places  at  a  table  in  the  midst  of  the  drink- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  241 

ers,  and  paid  the  female  waiters  the  price  they  asked  for 
the  refreshments  they  served  us.  Whereupon,  two  of  them 
sat  down  by  our  side,  and  presented  us  with  their  photo- 
graphs, on  the  backs  of  which  their  addresses  were  written. 

The  whole  force  of  female  waiters  was  in  attendance — 
that  is,  about  thirty  or  forty  young  women,  all  busy  en- 
deavoring to  quench  the  thirst  of  several  hundred  men ; 
and,  while  executing  the  multitudinous  orders  given  them, 
they  found  sufficient  time  to  distribute  their  photographs, 
to  talk,  and  drink  with  visitors.  I  noticed  that  they  con- 
sumed nearly  as  much  as  the  men,  and  wondered  how  they 
could  stand  it. 

"  The  excesses  of  those  poor  creatures,"  said  Asmodeus, 
"  are  sure  to  bring  their  miserable  lives  to  an  untimely  end. 
For,  as  the  concert-saloon  owners  pay  them  an  insufficient 
salary  to  live  upon,  the  girls,  for  the  purpose  of  increasing 
it,  purchase,  every  morning,  a  certain  number  of  drinking- 
tickets :  for  instance,  a  glass  of  ale  or  porter  costs  ten 
cents,  if  taken  at  the  counter ;  the  saloon-owner  sells  tick- 
ets for  the  same  to  the  waitresses  with  a  discount  of  thirty 
per  cent,  and  sometimes  more.  If  you  follow  their  mo- 
tions, you  will  perceive  they  themselves  keep  the  money 
received  from  visitors,  and  pay  the  bar-tender  with  their 
own  tickets,  on  obtaining  from  him  the  ordered  refresh- 
ments. Now,  to  dispose  of  the  largest  possible  number 
of  tickets,  the  girls  have  recourse  to  all  conceivable  strata- 
gems—the most  usual  being  to  ask  the  visitor  to  drink  a 
toast  to  their  beauty.  Though  the  latter  is  generally  faded, 
the  visitor  accedes  for  gallantry's  sake  ;  and  as  the  Hebe 
has  to  keep  him  company  while  toasting  her  charms,  he 
pays  for  two  drinks  instead  of  one.  After  a  few  months 
of  such  a  life,  the  health  of  most  of  those  female  waiters — 


242  Asmodeiis  in  New -York. 

I  do  not  speak  of  their  virtue — is  utterly  ruined.     They 
soon  become,  with  few  exceptions,  confirmed  drunkards." 

Hurrying  from  the  tables  to  the  counter,  and  from  the 
counter  to  the  tables  ;  carrying  glasses  of  liquor  to  and  fro  > 
talking  and  drinking  with  every  body— in  short,  displaying 
a  wonderful  activity,  they  presented  a  queer  though  mel- 
ancholy sight.  They  evidently  competed  for  the  largest  sale 
of  tickets. 

"  I  have  already  sold  fifty,"  said  one.  "  I  have  but 
twenty  out  of  one  hundred  purchased  this  morning,"  said 
another.  "  I  beat  you  all,"  exclaimed  a  third ;  "  I  have 
but  ten  out  of  one  hundred  !"  And  while  exchanging 
these  confidences,  they  were  not  the  less  attentive  to  the 
wants  of  the  visitors.  The  activity  of  these  Hebes  was 
only  equaled  by  that  of  half  a  dozen  men,  protected  by  a 
railing,  behind  which  they  manipulated  the  drinks  ordered 
by  the  crowd. 

"  It  is  a  business  of  no  small  importance,"  observed 
Asmodeus,  "to  be  a  bar-tender — to  thoroughly  understand 
how  to  properly  prepare  the  almost  infinite  number  of  beve- 
rages appreciated  by  the  Americans.  A  long  apprentice- 
ship is  necessary ;  and  the  salary  of  bar-tenders  is  some- 
times as  high  as  that  of  a  French  prefect^  A  bar-tender 
must  be  somewhat  of  a  chemist ;  for  the  number  of  in- 
gredients which  compose  many  favorite  drinks,  and  their 
proper  mingling,  constitute  almost  a  science.  I  have 
known  impoverished  noblemen,  lawyers,  and  physicians, 
who,  after  leaving  the  Old  World,  in  search  of  fortunes  in 
the  New,  have  been  finally  in  circumstances  so  reduced, 
as  to  turn  bar-tenders  ;  but  they  were  obliged,  beforehand, 
to  learn  the  business,  receiving  no  compensation,  during 
several  months,  for  their  services. 

"Most  of  the  American  drinks  are  made  of  rectified 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  243 

spirits,  mixed  with  medicinal  herbs  and  all  conceivable 
spices.  Beer,  it  is  true,  has  come  into  use  within  a  few 
years  ;  but  Americans  by  birth  only  occasionally  drink  that 
bitter  beverage  so  much  relished  by  Germans  ;  neither  are 
they  very  fond  of  the  juice  of  the  grape,  which  gives  to  the 
Celtic  race  its  courage  and  gayety." 

Meanwhile  there  happened  among  the  drinkers  what 
Asmodeus  called  a  "  suspension  of  hostilities,"  and  a  lull 
of  excitement.  The  going  to  and  fro  of  visitors  and  fe- 
male waiters  was  subsiding ;  conversation  was  carried  on 
in  a  subdued  tone  ;  the  drinking  and  toasting  were  slack- 
ening; many  drinkers  had  fallen  into  a  happy  state  of 
drowsiness,  while  a  few  looked  admiringly  at  the  bare 
shoulders  of  the  "pretty  waiter-girls,"  and  tried  hard  to 
keep  some  of  them  by  their  side. 

"  Now  is  the  time  to  leave,"  said  Asmodeus.  "  Bloody 
scenes  are  not  uncommon  in  concert-saloons  after  these 
drinking  revels  have  reached  their  height.  Jealousy  is 
quick  to  fly  to  the  brain  of  a  drunken  man ;  and  most  fre- 
quenters of  concert-saloons  carry  a  couple  of  revolvers  in 
their  pockets.  We  have,  besides,  time  enough  to  go  to  a 
theatre  near  by,  where  a  play  of  Shakespeare  is  represent- 
ing ;  and  it  is  better  to  listen  to  good  verses,  even  poorly 
recited,  than  to  breathe  a  putrid  atmosphere." 

I  thought  so  too,  and  heartily  followed  Asmodeus  to  the 
theatre,  where  the  masterpieces  of  the  great  English  poet 
were  nightly  given  by  a  renowned  company  of  players. 

"  When  one  thinks,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  that  the  saloon 
we  have  just  left  is  one  of  the  least  disreputable  among 
some  hundreds  of  the  kind,  the  amount  of  corruption  and 
misery  they  necessarily  entail  on  the  community  is  truly 
appalling.  I  have  recognized  there  clerks  of  banking- 
houses,  old  merchants,  and  even  officers  of  the  munici- 


2/14  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

pal  administration.  Young  and  old  alike  frequent  these 
schools  of  vice — the  former  to  learn,  the  latter  to  teach ; 
all,  to  degrade  themselves.  Go  to  any  large  city  in  the 
Union,  and  you  will  find  like  establishments,  the  proprie- 
tors of  which  admit  only  fallen  women  for  waiters ;  or,  if 
not  lost  to  virtue,  in  a  fair  way  soon  to  become  so.  This 
great  metropolis,  in  fact,  sets  examples  for  other  cities,  and 
whether  they  be  good  or  bad,  they  are  certain  to  be  fol- 
lowed. Dens  of  corruption,  I  admit,  exist  in  all  large  cen- 
tres of  population ;  but  it  may  be  doubted  whether  vice 
shows  itself  elsewhere  so  impudently — it  recedes  from  the 
gaze  of  the  public  and  dwells  in  remote  streets  ;  while  here 
it  displays  itself  on  the  most  favorite  thoroughfare  of  New- 
York,  one  which  is  a  sort  of  Parisian  Boulevard  for  New- 
Yorkers,  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  pride  of  commercial 
men.  I  have  heard  health-officers  state  that  over  five  hun- 
dred young  girls  employed  in  concert-saloons  die  every 
year  of  drunkenness  and  other  nameless  vices — thus  filling 
an  early  grave.  Between  these  unfortunate  creatures  and 
unwary  young  men  spring  up  relations  fruitful  of  many 
dreadful  evils.  From  what  you  have  seen,  you  may  form 
an  estimate  of  what  is  transpiring  in  saloons  removed  from 
the  gaze  of  the  police.  The  least  disreputable  of  those 
resorts  are  schools  for  licentiousness  ;  the  others,  nurseries 
of  crime.  In  the  latter  the  waiter-girls  are  prostitutes,  con- 
nected with  professional  thieves  and  assassins ;  and  woe 
betide  the  stranger  who  falls  into  the  snares  of  those  dan- 
gerous sirens !  More  than  one  has  found  his  grave  in  the 
Hudson,  dragged  there  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  after 
being  drugged  by  poisonous  liquors  and  robbed  of  his  valu- 
ables ! 

"  The  State  Legislature  has  more  than  once  tried  to  sup- 
press concert-saloons  in  New- York.     Its  attempts  have 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  245 

been  invariably  defeated  by  the  confederated  efforts  of  dis- 
tillers, proprietors  of  restaurants,  bar-keepers,  concert-sa- 
loon owners,  and  liquor-merchants — finding  a  willing  help 
in  the  judiciary.  The  spirit  of  the  law  has  been  perverted, 
and  its  effects  paralyzed  by  magistrates  elected  by  these 
confederates. 

"  I  consider  concert-saloons  are  now  a  definitive  institu- 
tion of  New- York — notwithstanding  young  men  spending 
their  evenings  in  these  vile  places  gradually  debase  their 
manners  and  minds  by  low  associations.  In  any  country, 
ruled  either  by  despotism  or  free  institutions,  law  is  pow- 
erless to  eradicate  an  evil  when  it  once  becomes  rooted  in 
the  habits  of  the  people  ;  the  latter  must  be  amended  first." 

We  now  entered  the  theatre.  The  play  that  night  was 
Julius  Ccesar,  a  work  in  which  the  great  poet  has  shown 
such  a  wonderful  knowledge  of  the  human  heart  and  popu- 
lar passions.  The  house  was  crowded.  Small,  but  hand- 
some and  elegantly  decorated,  there  was,  however,  in  its 
shape  and  dispositions  an  irremediable  defect :  the  stage 
was  too  near  the  spectators,  and  thus  spoiled  the  effects  of 
illusion.  We  took  our  seats  at  the  moment  Julius  Caesar, 
drawing  Antonius  aside,  says  : 

"  Let  me  have  men  about  me  that  are  fat ; 
Sleek-headed  men,  and  such  as  sleep  o'  nights  : 
Yond'  Cassius  has  a  lean  and  hungry  look  ; 
He  thinks  too  much  :  such  men  are  dangerous." 

The  actor  who  personated  Caesar  was  not  wanting  in 
dignity,  and  his  mien  was  quite  appropriate  to  the  situa- 
tion. But  the  performers  who  represented  the  three  Ro- 
mans who  became  Triumvirs  after  Caesar's  assassination 
were  miserably  deficient  in  a  knowledge  of  the  men  among 
whom,  and  times  in  which,  they  were  supposed  to  be  mov- 


246  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

ing.  And  the  terrible  scene  in  which  Caesar  is  stabbed  by 
Casca,  then  by  several  other  conspirators,  and  finally  by 
Marcus  Brutus,  and  pronounces  his  despairing  farewell  to 
life,  "Et  ttf,  Brute! — then  fall,  Caesar!"  looked  more  like 
a  street-riot  than  the  dramatic  catastrophe  so  admirably 
delineated  by  the  poet.  As  for  the  actresses  who  repre- 
sented Calphurnia  and  Portia,  they  seemed  more  intent 
on  ogling  the  audience  than  anxious  for  their  husbands. 
Finally,  when,  in  the  fourth  act,  the  ghost  of  Caesar  enters 
and  tells  Brutus  he  shall  see  him  again  at  Philippi,  the 
actor  who  personated  the  ghost  did  it  in  so  ridiculous  a 
manner  that  the  house  could  not  refrain  from  laughing. 

"  It  is  certainly  very  difficult,"  said  Asmodeus,  during  an 
intermission  in  the  performance,  "  to  properly  interpret  the 
great  bard  of  Avon.  One  can  hardly  expect  an  actor  to  be 
possessed  of  such  historical  knowledge  as  to  successfully 
represent  all  of  Shakespeare's  varied  characters — to  be,  in 
turn,  Macbeth  and  Richard  II. ;  then  Henry  IV.,  Henry 
V.,  Henry  VI.,  Richard  III.,  Henry  VIII.,  and,  again, 
King  Lear  and  Julius  Caesar.  One  must  be  endowed 
with  natural  genius  to  interpret  men  of  genius,  and,  in 
particular,  so  great  a  thinker  and  sagacious  an  observer  as 
the  prince  of  tragic  authors.  But  if  actors  lack  superior 
talent,  a  proper  sense  of  decency,  as  regards  history,  is  to 
be  expected  from  them.  The  costumes  on  this  occasion 
are  simply  ridiculous,  and  the  scenery  which  purports  to 
represent  a  Roman  city,  during  a  great  part  of  the  play, 
would  serve  as  well  for  any  town  of  Europe  or  America. 
I  am,  above  all,  irritated  at  the  absence  of  truth  and  real- 
ity in  the  players,  who  are  advertised  as  an  unparalleled 
cast  of  stars  in  the  dramatic  firmament.  Exaggerated 
gesture  and  furious  utterance  weaken,  instead  of  adding 
strength  to  Shakespeare's  poetry.  For  instance,  the  actor 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  247 

who  plays  the  part  of  Antonius,  is  unquestionably  unac- 
quainted with  history  and  classical  literature  ;  for  he  gives 
to  the  character  the  cant  and  mien  of  a  Puritan  preacher." 

The  curtain,  which  rose  for  the  fifth  act,  here  inter- 
rupted the  discourse  of  Asmodeus,  and  we  silently  assisted 
at  the  peripetie  of  the  battle  of  Philippi. 

When  Cato,  the  son  of  Marcus  Cato,  after  heroically 
charging  the  enemy,  is  overpowered  and  falls,  a  great  ex- 
citement among  the  actors  became  noticeable ;  then  they 
suddenly  ceased  playing,  and  somebody  in  the  house 
shouted  out  that  it  was  on  fire !  Instantly  a  scene  of 
indescribable  terror  and  confusion  ensued  ;  ladies  fainted, 
and  men,  in  a  state  of  frenzy,  rushed  to  the  door — the  ex- 
citement being  the  more  intense  when  the  very  insufficient 
means  of  egress  became  fully  known  to  the  audience. 

"  Whether  there  be  a  fire  or  not,"  coolly  said  Asmodeus, 
"let  us  keep  quiet.  It  is  the  best  means  to  protect  our 
lives.  We  should  be  crushed  and  trampled  to  death  by 
those  mad  people  were  we  unwise  enough  to  try  to  go  out. 
The  theatres  in  the  United  States  are  built  after  so  defec- 
tive a  plan,  and  the  means  of  egress  are  so  scanty,  that,  in 
case  of  a  fire  during  a  performance,  the  loss  of  life  would 
be  frightful.  Previous  to  going  to  a  theatre,  every  man  of 
common  sense  and  discretion  ought  to  set  his  house  in 
order  and  make  his  will.  This  theatre,  which  will  con- 
tain about  two  thousand  persons,  has  but  one  entrance- 
way.  In  case  of  fire,  the  audience  would  be  burnt  alive, 
as  were,  a  few  years  ago,  hundreds  of  unfortunate  beings 
who  had  been  shut  up  in  a  church  until  the  holy  mass  was 
over. 

"Most  fortunately,  there  is  no  real  danger.  Smoke, 
issuing  from  a  defective  flue,  is  the  cause  of  the  alarm ; 


248  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

and  the  performance  will  soon  proceed — though,  it  may 
be,  but  few  spectators  will  resume  their  seats." 

In  fact,  the  manager  at  that  moment  stepped  to  the 
footlights,  and,  after  quieting  the  fears  of  those  who  had 
not  yet  left  the  theatre,  announced  that  the  actors  would 
immediately  resume  the  play.  "The  cry  of  fire,"  said  he, 
"  was  raised  by  some  evil-disposed  person — the  tool,  pro- 
bably, of  a  rival  company,  by  whom  all  means  are  resorted 
to  with  a  view  to  destroy  the  unprecedented  success  of 
this  troupe,  so  enthusiastically  welcomed  every  night  by  the 
Mite  of  New- York  society !"  After  this  speech,  the  actors 
resumed  their  parts  and  the  play  went  on  ;  but,  as  pre- 
dicted by  Asmodeus,  before  an  almost  empty  house. 

"  You  may  now  form  an  idea,"  said  Asmodeus  while  we 
were  going  home,  "  of  the  American  theatre,  and  the  man- 
ner in  which  Shakespeare's  masterpieces  are  interpreted. 
The  company  we  have  seen  is  one  of  the  best  and  most 
complete  to  be  found  in  America.  But  whether  they  inter- 
pret classical  authors  or  the  modern  drama,  the  defects 
you  have  noticed  are  none  the  less  shocking — namely, 
want  of  truth  and  reality,  exaggerated  gestures,  insuffi- 
ciency of  study,  and  ridiculous  conceit  of  their  proficiency 
and  merit.  Independently  of  natural  disposition,  much  study 
and  labor  are  required  to  become  a  good  actor ;  and  few 
American  actors  are  fond  of  these  requisites — believing 
their  art  may  dispense  with  them  ;  and,  as  a  consequence, 
the  majority  is  but  a  crowd  of  brainless  braggarts  and 
ridiculous  swells. 

"  Concerning  the  plays  in  vogue,  if  we  except  a  few  from 
Shakespeare,  they  are,  in  general,  translated  from  the  worst 
French  dramas,  and  arranged  to  suit  the  taste  of  the  Ame. 
rican  public.  If  this  taste  has  not  as  yet  become  entirely 
corrupted,  it  is  not  for  want  of  opportunities ;  as  theatre 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  249 

managers  and  playwrights,  instead  of  making  of  theatrical 
representations  a  school  for  morals,  conyert  them  into  a 
sort  of  arena,  where  highwaymen  and  other  low  characters 
delight  the  crowd  with  their  adroitness  and  audacity — to 
the  confusion,  of  course,  of  the  law,  police,  decency,  and 
common  sense. 

"  No,"  continued  Asmodeus,  "  theatrical  art  does  not  ex- 
ist in  the  United  States,  and  never  will,  so  long  as  honest 
critics  are  snubbed  by  dramatic  authors  and  actors.  To- 
day, a  critic  who  should  dare  to  censure  an  actor,  and, 
least  of  all,  an  actress,  would  be  certainly  exposed  to  the 
resentment  of  the  parties  he  had  censured  and  that  of 
their  friends.  No  newspaper  is  bold  enough  to  doubt  the 
excellency  of  the  American  people  in  the  scenic  art,  as  in 
every  thing  else.  That  self-admiration  so  universally  prac- 
ticed in  this  country,  is  especially  pushed  to  extreme  limits 
in  every  thing  pertaining  to  the  theatrical  world. 

"  But  it  is  not  there  only  that  the  want  of  labor  and 
patient  study  produces  almost  negative  results.  It  is  the 
same  with  the  arts,  the  sciences,  and  literature. 

"  The  American  people  do  every  thing  in  a  hurry ;  but 
masterpieces  can  not  be  the  fruit  of  sudden  inspiration, 
and  any  intellectual  effort  to  challenge  lasting  admiration 
requires  long  meditation  and  careful  elaboration.  Many 
American  writers  lose  sight  of  the  art  itself,  when  they  make 
books  or  plays — they  think  only  of  the  money  they  will 
reap  from  them ;  literature  with  them  is,  as  with  the  pub- 
lishers for  whom  they  work,  but  a  mercantile  business. 

"No  wonder,  then,  so  many  works  lauded  to  the  skies 
by  a  complacent  press  are  short-lived  !  But,  as  I  said 
before,  the  true  literature  of  democratic  societies  is  their 
press ;  and  the  Americans,  in  this  respect,  are  without  a 
rival. 


250  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

"James  Fenimore  Cooper  is,  and  will  be  for  a  long  time 
to  come,  the  author  whose  works  deserve  unqualified  ad- 
miration, as  regards  talent  for  narrative,  truth  of  description, 
and  originality  of  character.  But  Cooper  is  not  popular 
among  his  countrymen,  because  of  his  critique  of  Ameri- 
can manners  and  institutions.  People,  as  well  as  kings, 
love  flattery,  and  do  not  easily  forgive  those  who  teach 
them  virtue. 

"  However,  I  am  ready  to  admit  that  the  Americans  will 
succeed  in  the  fields  of  literature,  arts,  and  sciences,  when 
they  shall  display  there  the  spirit  of  enterprise  and  perse- 
verance they  have  so  conspicuously  exhibited  in  mercantile 
affairs.  They  are  a  people  to  whom  every  thing  seems 
possible ;  and  I  should  not  be  surprised  were  they  some 
day  to  produce  in  the  arts  of  painting  and  sculpture,  for 
instance,  masterpieces  that  all  Europe  will  envy,  though 
those  arts  have  flourished,  up  to  our  time,  in  old  commu- 
nities only,  and  among  classes  that  enjoy  leisure — a  thing 
unknown,  as  yet,  in  the  United  States. 

"  Every  thing  in  America  being  undertaken  and  carried 
on  in  the  interest  of  the  million,  Photography  was  sure  to 
be  welcomed.  It  is  now  a  national  art,  practiced  in  every 
town,  in  every  hamlet,  and  inundating  the  country  with 
multitudinous  productions,  sometimes  of  very  superior 
make.  Not  a  few  Americans  carry  a  stock  of  their  own 
photographs  in  their  pockets,  giving  them  away  among 
friends  and  acquaintances.  Some  even  add  to  the  gift  a 
short  biography — a  practice  that  has  recently  contributed 
to  make  biography-writing  a  branch  of  literature  much  in 
vogue,  and  more  remunerating,  I  suspect,  than  many 
others. 

"  And  no  wonder  this  is  so.  Candidates  to  public  offi- 
ces, from  the  would-be  President  of  the  Republic  down  to 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  251 

the  village  alderman,  are  evidently  marked  out  for  great 
men — inasmuch  as  a  Boston  professor  has  lately  demon- 
strated that  the  face  of  the  Yankee  bears  a  striking  resem- 
blance to  that  of  the  illustrious  Romans,  as  transmitted  to 
us  by  sculpture  or  numismatics.  Bound,  then,  for  immor- 
tality, candidates  must  have  their  own  biographies  writ- 
ten and  printed  on  the  eve  of  election  ;  and  hundreds  of 
thousands  of  them  are  distributed  among  the  community 
delighted  to  possess  so  many  great  men. 

"  Apart  from  their  achievements  in  the  photographic  art, 
the  United  States  have,  in  reality,  made  little  progress  in 
purely  industrial  arts,  as  compared  with  the  rapid  advance 
of  other  countries.  The  explanation  of  this  undeniable 
fact  is  again  found  in  insufficiency  of  study,  and  the  habit 
of  doing  every  thing  too  hastily.  The  Americans  blindly 
adopt  the  inventions  of  the  Europeans  ;  but  while  the  lat- 
ter incessantly  improve  on  these,  science  is  wanted  here 
to  follow  in  the  same  track.  The  country  possesses  very 
few  machinists  really  learned  and  skilled  in  the  theory  of 
their  art. 

"  A  good  system  of  industrial  education  is  certainly 
needed  ;  and  until  they  have  one,  the  Americans  will  be 
enabled  to  boast  of  but  few  specialties.  Nowhere  else  is 
more  money  spent  for  primary  educational  purposes — 
almost  every  body  being  able  to  read  and  write ;  but  that 
education  is  about  the  only  one  within  the  reach  of  the 
people  ;  and  though  admiring  the  advantages  and  results 
derived  from  it,  it  is  time  the  masses  were  enabled  to  in- 
crease the  superficial  knowledge  they  obtain  in  the  public 
schools." 

Asmodeus  was  thus  discoursing  about  theatres,  arts,  and 
literature  in  the  United  States,  when  repeated  hurras  broke 


252  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

upon  the  stillness  of  the  night,  and  crowds  of  people  issued 
from  neighboring  streets. 

"  They  are  coming  !  here  they  are  !"  exclaimed  a  number 
of  voices,  amid  increasing  confusion. 

"  Some  Ambassadors  from  an  Asiatic  nation  have  just, 
arrived,"  said  Asmodeus.  "  They  were  expected  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  ;  but  they  could  reach  New- York 
at  midnight  only,  because  they  had  to  stop  at  every  rail- 
way station,  during  their  journey,  and  exhibit  themselves 
to  the  thousands  of  people  flocking  there  from  miles 
around.  To-morrow  they  will  have  a  public  reception, 
thus  affording  you  an  opportunity  to  see  that  ceremony  as 
managed  by  the  city  officials  and  a  people  always  in  pur- 
suit of  new  sensations.  But  the  clamor  is  becoming  more 
stunning,  and — here  are  the  Ambassadors  !  Let  us  stop, 
for  to  walk  amid  such  a  crowd  is  really  impossible." 

Asmodeus  had  hardly  concluded  these  words,  when  we 
were  jostled  in  contrary  directions,  by  men  either  intoxica- 
ted or  who  feigned  to  be  so  ;  and  before  I  was  aware  of  it,  I 
found  myself  abruptly  separated  from  my  companion. 

"Beware  of  pickpockets  !"  cried  he,  while  being  pushed 
forward  by  the  swelling  tide  of  the  populace.  Heeding 
his  advice,  I  hastily  felt  in  my  fob.  My  watch  was  gone  ! 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

IS   A   SERIOUS   ONE,   AND    ENDS   WITH   A   CATASTROPHE. 

THUS  learned,  to  my  cost,  of  the  world-renown- 
ed skill  of  American  pickpockets ;  and  I  went 
home  all  the  more  irritated  at  the  occurrence 
because  the  stolen  watch  was  endeared  to  me 
by  family  recollections.     I  could  hardly  sleep  that  night, 
and  rose  early  to  go  to  police-headquarters,  and  make 
known  the  theft  of  which  I  had  been  made  the  victim. 

"  An  antiquated  idea,  sir — an  obsolete  notion,  which  you 
had  better  at  once  banish  from  your  mind,"  said  Asmo- 
deus,  appearing  at  the  very  moment  I  was  leaving  my 
room.  "  Leave  to  the  Old  World  such  proceedings,  which 
would  have  for  their  only  result  to  make  you  a  laughing- 
stock to  the  police.  Do  as  every  sensible  man  does  in 
similar  and  all  other  circumstances — that  is,  depend  on 
yourself  alone,  either  to  succeed  in  any  enterprise  or  to  get 
out  of  a  scrape.  Believe  me,  you  will  again  possess  your 
watch  by  simply  resorting  to  means  used  in  cases  of  this 
kind,  and  which  are  certainly  less  expensive  than  would  be 
the  intervention  of  meddlesome  lawyers  and  policemen. 
They  could  detect,  perhaps,  the  pickpocket,  and  even  find 
your  watch.  But  in  no  case  would  the  latter  be  restored 
to  you.  Valuable  goods  are  never  returned  to  their  own- 
ers, sir,  in  this  country  ;  they  are  kept,  as  evidence,  by  the 


254  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

lawyers  and  police.     Your  antiquated  notion  would  only 
serve  to  add  to  the  loss  of  your  watch  a  fruitless  outlay." 

Agreeably  to  his  advice,  I  followed  Asmodeus  to  a  news- 
paper office,  and  there  my  companion  handed  in  for  the 
next  issue  the  following  advertisement : 

"  Yesterday,  during  the  arrival  of  the  Asiatic  Ambassa- 
dors, a  gentlemen  was  relieved  of  his  watch  (a  genuine 
Breguet)  by  some  artistic  manipulator,  possessed  of  a  skill 
and  cunning  really  wonderful.  Desiring  to  give  to  the  ar- 
tist a  testimony  of  his  admiration,  the  owner  of  the  chro- 
nometer will  pay  him  fifty  dollars  for  his  trouble,  if  he  will 
condescend  to  return  it  to-morrow  at  nine  o'clock  A.M." 

The  advertisement  concluded  by  giving  my  name  and 
address. 

"  Now,"  said  Asmodeus,  after  paying  two  dollars  to  the 
cashier  at  the  desk,  "  I  will  guarantee  that  you  will  recover 
your  chronometer  at  the  time  stated  in  the  advertisement, 
and  thus  be  compelled  to  admit  that  this  course  of  proceed- 
ing, compared  to  the  rough,  blunt  way  of  the  police,  savors 
of  a  courtesy  and  good  breeding  which  mark  an  advance 
in  civilization.'5 

At  that  moment,  several  regiments  of  the  State  militia 
marched  through  the  street  to  inspiriting  strains  of  martial 
music,  and  we  mingled  with  the  lookers-on. 

"  The  taste  for  music,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  has  considera- 
bly increased  throughout  the  States,  owing,  in  a  great  mea- 
sure, to  the  many  Germans  who  have  settled  in  America. 
Everywhere  piano-playing  is  indulged  in  ;  and,  in  large 
cities,  Odd  Fellows,  firemen,  target-companies,  benevolent 
societies,  and  vvorkingmen's  associations,  delight  in  parad- 
ing through  the  streets  with  bands  of  music.  In  time  of 
war,  regiments  of  one  thousand  men  each,  when  complete, 
keep  a  musical  band  at  a  heavy  expense  to  the  public  trea- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  255 

sury.  The  number  of  musicians  alone  would  form  a  re- 
spectable army." 

The  regiments  we  met  on  coming  out  of  the  newspaper 
office,  were  parading,  Asmodeus  informed  me,  in  honor  of 
the  Orientals  who  had  arrived  the  day  before,  and  to  whom 
a  public  reception  was  actually  tendered.  Regiment  after 
regiment  went  by,  with  artillery  and  cavalry,  composing  a 
really  formidable  army.  It  was  the  first  time  I  had  seen  a 
military  display  in  the  United  States — not  even  a  single 
uniform  had  I  seen  before. 

"  New- York  alone,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  could  raise  an  ar- 
my of  one  hundred  thousand  men.  The  State  militia  is 
organized  throughout  the  Union  with  such  efficiency  that 
soldiers  are  never  wanting  in  the  hour  of  peril. 

"This  country,  though  devoted  to  the  useful  arts  and 
much  given  to  the  pursuit  of  gain,  is  not  deprived  of  war- 
like spirit.  Far  from  it;  and  the  old  nations  of  Europe 
will  act  sensibly  in  leaving  the  United  States  to  quietly 
fulfill  their  destiny.  It  really  seems,  in  case  of  emergency, 
that  innumerable  armies  spring,  as  it  were,  from  the  Ame- 
rican soil,  and,  judging  from  the  past,  this  country  might 
keep,  without  apparent  uneasiness,  a  standing  army  of  one 
million  men. 

"Not  less  worthy  of  notice,  next  to  its  wonderful  power 
of  raising  armies,  is  the  facility  the  American  Union  posses- 
ses for  disbanding  them.  One  can  but  wonder  at  the  rapid- 
ity with  which  soldiers,  fresh  from  camp-life,  return,  and 
settle  down  to  the  labors  of  the  farm  and  factory.  The 
country  is  so  vast,  the  field  of  labor  so  extensive,  that  a 
million  men  can  find  employment  at  once,  and  the  confu- 
sion which  everywhere  else  would  attend  the  disbandment 
of  numerous  armies  is  here  quite  unknown.  In  time  of 
war,  the  Americans  are  proud  of  their  soldiers,  and  of  their 


256  Asmodens  in  New -York. 

fighting  qualities.  They  are  the  objects  of  an  unrelaxing 
solicitude  from  the  government.  As  soon  as  the  bloody 
work  is  over,  feelings  of  an  opposite  nature  prevail  among 
the  people :  the  sight  of  a  uniform  makes  ever}'  American 
nervous,  and  soldiers  become  hardly  tolerated.  The  heroes 
of  the  day  before  are  now  looked  upon  as  lazy  fellows  and 
parasites  on  society.  Hence  the  prevailing  opinion  that 
a  standing  army  ought  to  be  as  small  as  possible  ;  and  even 
the  necessity  for  it  has  been  often  questioned.  Such  is  the 
public  antipathy  for  military  service,  that  heavy  bounties 
sometimes  have  to  be  granted  to  recruit  the  ranks.  Nay, 
more,  as  trade  and  industry  offer  more  inducements  to 
Americans  than  the  army,  its  ranks,  in  time  of  peace,  are 
mainly  filled  up  by  foreigners.  Militia  regiments  them- 
selves would  soon  lose  their  prestige  and  popularity  were 
they  to  parade  too  often  in  the  streets.  The  American  is 
singularly  proud  and  suspicious  of  his  freedom,  and  he 
takes  umbrage  very  easily  at  the  sight  of  brute  force." 

In  the  mean  while,  regiment  after  regiment  of  volun- 
teers was  filing  by.  Their  uniforms  were  quite  varied ; 
some  reminded  one  of  German  troopers  ;  others,  those  worn 
by  French  or  English  soldiers.  As  regards  the  regular 
army,  Asmodeus  informed  me,  there  is  but  one  kind  of 
uniform  for  the  infantry;  the  cavalry  regiments  also  have 
all  the  same  uniform.  By  this  means,  a  great  saving  is 
realized  by  the  public  treasury  for  the  clothing  of  the  sol- 
diers ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  as  the  uniform  is  not  often 
changed,  as  in  other  countries,  dishonest  bargains  between 
contractors  and  army  officers  are  not  to  be  apprehended. 
The  uniform  for  the  standing  army  is  very  simple  and  costs 
little  ;  the  epaulet  is  unknown,  some  staff-officers  only  wear- 
ing it.  Not  only  many  of  the  regiments  of  volunteers  fil- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  257 

ing  by  wore  the  uniform  of  foreign  countries,  but  I  also 
noticed  they  carried  the  flags  of  those  countries. 

"  The  flags  of  all  peoples  living  in  the  world,"  said  As- 
modeus, "  are  welcome  here.  They  are  soon  merged  in 
the  broad  folds  of  the  Star-Spangled  Banner.  America  is 
a  neutral  ground  for  all  the  human  race — a  common  inher- 
itance for  all  men  who  want  to  be  free  ;  and  the  Americans 
do  not  find  fault  with  foreigners  for  their  keeping  a  pious 
remembrance  of  their  native  land.  In  their  turn,  foreign- 
ers, in  a  national  emergency,  flock  to  the  flag  of  the  Union, 
which  represents  a  government  emanating  from  their  own 
will ;  and  if  that  Government  displays  an  irresistible  power, 
it  is  because  a  whole  people  is  interested  in  its  preserva- 
tion." 

The  crowd  waiting  on  the  sidewalks  for  a  sight  of  the 
Asiatic  Ambassadors  was  enormous,  rendering  walking 
almost  impossible.  However,  remarkable  order  prevailed, 
though  no  extraordinary  measures  had  been  taken  to  pro- 
tect the  public  peace.  The  number  of  policemen  on  duty 
was  no  larger  than  usual.  A  population  of  free  men  is 
undoubtedly  an  intelligent  one ;  and  there  is,  among  the 
American  masses,  a  deep  and  sincere  love  for  public  order 
— statements  to  the  contrary,  notwithstanding. 

At  last  the  long-expected  cortege  appeared,  with  a  platoon 
of  policemen  in  front ;  then  followed  many  regiments  of 
infantry  and  cavalry ;  carriages,  containing  the  city  coun- 
cilmen  and  their  friends,  came  next ;  then  a  magnificent 
vehicle,  drawn  by  six  horses  decorated  with  ribbons  and 
feathers,  disclosed  to  the  gaze  of  the  spectators  the  Orien- 
tals, wearing  their  national  gowns.  All  along  the  route 
they  were  welcomed  with  enthusiastic  shouts,  and  they 
seemed  quite  astonished  at  the  sympathetic  demonstra- 
tions they  everywhere  met.  Finally,  several  regiments  of 


258  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

volunteers  completed  the  procession,  which  extended  sev- 
eral miles. 

"These  poor  fellows,"  said  Asmodeus,  "will  be  exhibited 
in  this  way  for  six  hours  at  least ;  they  will  be  taken  up 
and  down  New-York's  principal  avenues  and  streets ;  and 
after  satiating  the  puerile  curiosity  of  the  people,  they  will 
stop  a  couple  of  hours  at  the  City  Hall,  during  which  time 
a  general  shaking  of  hands  will  take  place.  This  habit  of 
hand-shaking  with  the  populace,  which  is  imposed  upon 
distinguished  guests  honored  with  a  public  reception,  is 
often  a  positive  martyrdom.  Some  have  passed  the  fearful 
ordeal  with  their  shoulders  unhinged ;  for,  among  every 
crowd,  facetious  Irishmen  are  never  wanting,  who,  to  show 
their  strength,  squeeze,  as  in  a  vice,  the  guest's  proffered 
hand.  Imagine,  then,  what  a  punishment  is  in  store  for 
those  effeminate  Orientals.  The  trials  which  encompass 
them  will  not  end  with  the  shaking  of  hands.  The  city 
fathers  will  not  cease  to  persecute  them  till  a  late  hour  of 
the  night.  When  the  public  reception  is  over,  the  Orien- 
tals will  be  treated  to  a  magnificent  dinner,  the  cost  of 
which  will  be,  of  course,  borne  by  tax-payers.  The  coun- 
cilmen  never  miss  any  occasion  to  treat  themselves  and 
friends  in  this  cheap  manner ;  and  the  city  treasurer  has 
to  disburse,  every  year,  many  thousand  dollars  for  such 
festivities.  In  the  New  as  in  the  Old  World,  the 
people  have  to  pay  for  the  diversions  their  rulers  grant 
them." 

At  this  point  of  the  conversation  we  passed  a  street,  a 
short  distance  from  which  could  be  seen  a  granite  building, 
whose  style  was  similar  to  that  of  an  Egyptian  temple. 

"  What  is  that  building,  yonder  ?"  said  I  to  Asmodeus. 
•'  From  its  gloomy  appearance,  one  might  take  it  for  one 
of  those  spacious  tombs  in  which,  in  the  time  of  the 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  259 

Pharaohs,  were  deposited  the  remains  of  wealthy  Egyp- 
tians." 

"That  is  just  the  name  that  heavy  structure  has  re- 
ceived," answered  Asmodeus  ;  "  but  the  living,  and  not  the 
dead,  are  buried  there.  It  is  the  city  prison.  There  evil- 
doers are  detained  until  they  are  discharged ;  or,  in  case 
of  condemnation,  taken  to  the  State's  prison.  There 
also  are  imprisoned  those  unfortunates  sentenced  to  be 
hanged,  and  anxiously  awaiting  the  day  they  expiate  their 
crimes." 

We  entered  the  gloomy  building,  every  part  of  which 
was  readily  shown  us  by  its  polite  keepers.  First,  we  saw 
a  small,  ill-ventilated  room,  where  a  justice  was  sitting, 
who  has  to  deal  with  persons  guilty  of  slight  offenses.  We 
next  entered  a  square  building,  with  cells  ranged  on  all 
sides.  The  keeper  informed  us  these  cells,  though  origin- 
ally intended  for  one  hundred  and  fifty  persons,  sometimes 
contain  as  many  as  five  hundred,  and  yet  each  of  them  is 
but  twelve  by  eight  feet  wide  ! 

We  saw,  in  another  part  of  the  prison,  cells  for  female 
prisoners ;  and  in  a  narrow  yard,  those  where  boys  are 
confined.  All  the  cells  seemed  very  damp,  and  lacking 
ventilation. 

"  This  prison,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  was  built  when  nobody 
foresaw  the  wonderful  growth  of  New-York.  One  feels 
deeply  aggrieved  when  thinking  of  all  the  miseries  yeaily 
inclosed  within  these  walls.  If  you  except  the  peniten- 
tiaries, where  the  solitary  system  is  generally  adopted,  the 
other  prisons  of  the  State  of  New-York,  and,  I  dare  say,  of 
the  other  States  of  the  Union,  are  in  no  better  condition 
as  regards  the  health  of  the  prisoners.  In  most  of  them 
there  are  no  baths.  The  old  are  mingled  with  the  young, 
and  depraved  offenders  with  culprits  of  slight  offenses 


260  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

only ;  and  the  prisoners'  sufferings  are  often  increased  by 
cruel  treatment  from  the  jail-keepers. 

"  Undoubtedly,  abuses,  so  frequent  in  Europe  in  cases 
of  imprisonment  before  trial,  are  of  rare  occurrence  in  the 
United  States  ;  because  persons  arrested  for  petty  offenses 
may  be  discharged  on  giving  reasonable  bail.  Still,  when 
they  have  neither  friends  nor  money,  they  run  the  same 
risk  of  mouldering  in  jail  in  the  United  States  as  in  Europe, 
because  magistrates  do  what,  in  their  opinion,  seems  most 
needful.  Well,  the  most  needful  thing  to  many  is  to  have 
offenders  who  belong  to  the  same  political  party  as  them- 
selves, or  are  provided  with  money,  promptly  brought 
before  an  examining  court  and  discharged.  To  other 
prisoners,  they  refuse  a  writ  at  pleasure,  or  insist  that  it 
can  not  be  issued  in  term-time.  Of  course,  all  court  magis- 
trates must  not  be  involved  in  so  serious  a  charge  ;  there 
are  honest  men  everywhere,  and  in  every  station  of  society. 
It  is  nevertheless  a  fact  boldly  asserted  by  opponents  to 
the  actual  system  of  recruiting  the  judiciary,  that  many 
judges,  after  a  term  of  four  years,  retire  from  office  with 
fifty  thousand  dollars  and  over,  though  their  yearly  salary 
does  not  exceed  four  thousand. 

"  Committees  from  benevolent  institutions,  besides  in- 
spectors from  the  Federal  and  State  government,  should 
visit  all  prisons,  as  well  as  insane  asylums,  once  a  month 
at  least,  and  interrogate  every  person  as  to  the  cause  that 
deprived  him  or  her  of  liberty.  Their  reports  should  be 
published  by  newspapers,  so  as  to  incite  magistrates  to 
promptly  discharge  their  duty,  secure  a  wise  discrimination 
in  the  appointment  of  wardens  and  keepers,  and  compel 
the  latter  to  treat  prisoners  with  a  proper  regard  for  their 
condition. 

"  The  kind,  humane  disposition  of  Americans,  fortunate- 


Astnodens  in  New -York.  261 

ly,  often  corrects  many  abuses,  arising  from  the  want  of  an 
efficient  control,  as  regards  both  the  execution  of  the  law 
and  prison  management  and  discipline. 

"  Convicts  are  generally  sentenced  to  an  imprisonment 
of  comparatively  short  duration.  Again,  the  American  peo 
pie,  as  I  have  said,  one  of  the  most  benevolent  on  earth, 
have  invented  the  most  terrible  punishment — solitary  con- 
finement. But,  at  the  same  time,  they  have  discovered 
that  strict  confinement  ought  to  be  limited  to  the  shortest 
period  possible.  The  Auburn  system  is  now  adopted, 
with  more  or  less  rigor  in  the  enforcement  of  silence,  in  the 
State's  prisons  of  most  of  the  States,  and  in  the  principal 
penitentaries.  But  the  term  for  which  convicts  are  impri- 
soned is  often  diminished  in  case  their  deportment  is  ex- 
emplary, and  also  through  the  intervention  of  relatives 
and  friends.  Offenders  are  seldom  sentenced  to  a  term  of 
imprisonment  exceeding  five  years,  unless  they  have  been 
convicted  of  serious  crimes,  and  do  not  deserve  any  mercy 
at  the  hands  of  magistrates.  The  latter  never  abuse  or 
torment  the  accused,  and  they  are  generally  careful  to  keep 
the  prosecution  on  a  level  with  the  defense.  They  know 
that  society  has  a  right  to  punish,  but,  even  when  so  doing, 
that  it  does  not  forget  that  the  offenders  belong  to  it, 
though  unfortunately  led  astray. 

"  Many  foreigners  often  wonder  at  the  indulgence  and 
lenity  with  which  offenders  are  treated  by  the  community 
they  have  outraged,  and  the  magistrates  whose  duty  it  is 
to  sentence  them  when  found  guilty.  Those  foreigners 
pay  an  unconscious  homage  to  American  institutions  ;  for 
the  mild  and  conciliatory  disposition  of  the  people  is,  to  a 
great  extent,  attributable  to  these  institutions." 

We  had  examined  enough  to  have  the  sad  conclusion 
forced  upon  us  that  the  city  prison  does  not  afford  to  its 


262  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

inmates  what  they  are  everywhere  entitled  to — pure  air, 
wholesome  and  sufficient  food,  protection  from  cold  and 
dampness,  and  opportunities  for  frequent  exercise ;  and 
also  that,  in  consequence  of  too  often  intermingling  young 
with  old  offenders,  the  former  become  tainted  with  the 
vices  of  the  latter,  and  are  thus  liable  to  leave  the  pri- 
son thoroughly  educated  in  crime.  Philanthropists  have 
here,  as  in  Europe,  a  vast  field  open  to  their  benevolent 
efforts. 

As  we  were  on  the  point  of  retiring,  Asmodeus  asked 
one  of  the  keepers  to  show  us  the  celebrities  of  the  day. 

"  Ah  sir !  replied  the  keeper,  "  we  have  very  few  of 
them,  at  the  present  time.  To  speak  the  truth,  crime  is 
tame  just  now  ;  and  were  it  not  for  the  drunkards,  too 
much  inclined  to  use  their  knives,  when  in  a  state  of  intoxi- 
cation, and  for  burglars  and  forgers,  the  house  would  be 
far  from  being  full.  As  it  is,  however,  I  will  show  you  the 
most  notorious  of  our  guests. 

"  That  one,  smoking  fifty-cent  cigars,  and  who  has  fur- 
nished his  cell  with  the  luxury  you  see,  is  the  well-known 
Coupon.  A  few  weeks  ago,  he  went  to  a  banker,  and  while 
engaging  him  in  conversation,  his  confederate  carried  away 
a  tin  box,  containing'government  securities  to  the  value  of 
about  three  millions  of  dollars.  Unfortunately  for  Cou- 
pon, most  of  them  were  registered  bonds.  He  was  arrest- 
ed and  could  not  furnish  the  heavy  bail  fixed  by  the 
judge.  But  after  many  conferences  with  him,  the  banker 
has  come  to  terms  ;  and  in  consideration  of  two  hundred 
thousand  dollars  which  Coupon  is  allowed  to  retain  out  of 
his  prize,  he  will  to-morrow  return  the  stolen  securities 
and  recover  his  freedom. 

"  The  next  cell  is  occupied  by  old  Tricker,  who  owns 
two  or  three  country-seats  in  the  State  of  New- York,  and 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  263 

keeps  fast  horses.  No  country  can  boast  of  a  more  skill- 
ful engraver  than  he.  Half  a  dozen  banks  have  broken  in 
consequence  of  the  miljions  of  counterfeit  bills  with  which 
Tricker  had  inundated  the  country.  Perhaps  he  will  not  get 
out  of  the  scrape  this  time  without  much  trouble.  The 
Federal  Government  is  in  a  rage,  because  Tricker  has 
imitated  the  United  States  bonds  with  such  perfection  that 
the  treasury  clerks  themselves  are  at  a  loss  to  distinguish 
the  genuine  from  the  imitations.  Tricker  takes  it  quite 
coolly,  and  gives  directions  from  his  cell  for  the  manage- 
ment t)f  his  farms  and  race  horses." 

"  The  counterfeiting  of  bank-bills  and  federal  securities 
of  every  description,"  interrupted  Asmodeus,  "  is  a  busi- 
ness carried  on  on  a  large  scale  in  the  United  States,  and 
gives  employment  to  thousands  of  persons  in  various  capa- 
cities. The  sale,  for  instance,  of  counterfeit  bills  is  in  itself 
a  very  important  branch  of  the  counterfeiting  business. 
There  are,  in  New- York  alone,  a  dozen  offices,  known,  it 
is  affirmed,  to  the  police,  where  any  body  may  purchase 
counterfeit  bills  at  a  discount  of  thirty  to  fifty  per  cent,  ac- 
cording to  the  quantity  taken  up.  The  Western  States 
have  been  principally  the  object  of  the  attentions  of  coun- 
terfeiters ;  and  many  farmers  are  far  from  suspecting  they 
have  received  worthless  paper  for  their  breadstuffs." 

"  That  young  man,"  continued  the  keeper,  "  who  walks 
alone  in  the  court-yard,  and  seems  in  a  gloomy  mood,  is  a 
precocious  bigamist,  who  has  vainly  tried,  from  the  day  of 
his  imprisonment,  to  be  bailed,  because  of  the  enormity  of 
his  offense  toward  the  fair  sex.  He  married,  in  the  West, 
when  about  eighteen  years  old,  and  two  years  later  came 
to  New- York,  leaving  behind  his  wife  and  one  .  child. 
Here  he  fell  in  love  with  a  young  lady  belonging  to  one  of 
our  most  respectable  families,  eloped  with  and  married  her. 


264  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

His  first  wife  having  ascertained  his  treachery,  he  thought 
it  advisable  to  abscond.  Only  a  few  days  ago,  the  mis- 
creant was  discovered  in  a  boarding-school  for  young 
ladies,  where,  disguised,  he  had  found  a  situation  in  the 
capacity  of  chambermaid.  In  consequence  of  this  sad 
affair,  five  young  ladies  have  been  obliged  to  leave  the 
school,  and  five  families  are  in  distress." 

"  This  is  the  fruit,"  again  said  Asmodeus,  "  of  marriages 
hastily  contracted,  and  without  previous  publication  ;  and 
also  of  a  demoralizing  literature.  That  precocious  scamp 
had  poisoned  his  mind,  no  doubt,  with  those  books  lea- 
vened with  the  spirit  of  licentiousness,  and  published  by 
authors  thirsting  less  for  reputation  than  for  money. 
But,"  he  abruptly  remarked,  "  is  not  that  the  lawyer, 
Forger,  I  perceive  yonder,  walking  with  two  other  limbs 
of  the  law  ?" 

"  You  are  right,"  replied  the  keeper.  "  Forger  does  his 
best  to  procure  clients  for  those  two  lawyers,  on  the  con- 
dition, of  course,  of  getting  a  percentage  out  of  the  stipula- 
ted fees.  In  point  of  greediness,  no  offender  equals  those 
two  sharks  of  the  law.  I  have  seen  them,  more  than 
once,  taking  for  their  fees  portions  of  stolen  goods,  after 
defending  the  thieves.  You  can  hardly  conceive  of  their 
tender  feeling  for  their  clients.  They  invariably  represent 
them  to  the  jurors  as  the  most  honest,  the  purest  creatures 
in  the  world ;  and  they  have  really  come  to  the  point  of 
considering  evil-doers  as  victims  of  society,  and  our  court 
magistrates  as  remorseless  persecutors.  They  worship 
thieves,  as  they  are  indebted  to  them  for  their  luxurious 
existence  and  the  reputation  they  enjoy  in  the  infamous 
resorts  of  the  city.  They  will  almost  surely  be  elected  re- 
presentatives to  the  New- York  State  Legislature,  or  even 
to  Congress,  when  they  choose  to  become  law-makers. 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  26$ 

"As  regards  Forger,  his  trial  will  not  be  soon  over. 
You  perhaps  know  he  had  among  his  clients  an  old  lady 
who  was  possessed  of  great  wealth,  in  consequence  of  the 
growth  of  New- York — she  owning  a  farm  in  what  has 
since  become  a  populated  part  of  the  city.  The  old  lady 
had  but  one  son,  who  had  gone  to  California,  at  the  out- 
break of  the  gold-fever,  and  of  whom  she  had  not  heard 
for  a  very  long  time ;  when,  one  day,  a  man  calling  him- 
self her  son  made  his  appearance  at  her  house.  That  man 
was  no  other  than  Forger's  accomplice,  who  played  his 
part  so  well,  the  old  lady  never  suspected  the  imposition. 
She  died  a  short  time  after,  bequeathing  all  her  fortune  to 
Forger's  friend.  The  thieves  had  just  begun  selling  off 
her  estate,  and  dividing  the  spoils,  when  the  true  son  of 
the  old  lady  returned  from  California.  He  was  at  once 
recognized  by  his  many  relatives  and  friends,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  having  his  identity  judicially  proved.  He  did 
more  ;  he  offered  convincing  proof  that  the  false  heir  was 
an  adventurer,  who,  under  a  dozen  assumed  names,  had  as 
many  misunderstandings  with  our  criminal  courts.  Forger 
and  his  friends  were  arrested,  and  they  are  deprived  of  their 
liberty  because  they  can  not  furnish  the  required  bail.  They 
spend  their  time  here  in  studying  the  means  to  escape  the 
law,  and,  above  all,  to  retain  their  spoils  ;  they  are  assisted 
in  their  endeavors  by  the  two  lawyers  you  have  noticed, 
and  who  do  not  fail  to  visit  them  daily. 

"The  tall  man  who  has  just  stopped  them  is  General 
Boisterous,  who,  after  fighting  the  Indians,  came  home  a 
few  months  ago,  to  recruit  his  health.  Through  some  in- 
considerate words  of  a  friend,  he  was  -apprised  of  his  wife's 
treachery  during  his  absence.  The  general  met  his  wife's 
paramour,  a  State  senator,  at  the  very  moment  he  was 
about  making  a  speech,  and  coolly  shot  him  down,  in  the 


266  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

presence  of  the  terrified  legislators.  As  some  among  them 
have,  perhaps,  coveted  their  neighbors'  wives,  as  did  Bois- 
terous' victim,  they  do  every  thing  in  their  power  to  influ- 
ence public  opinion  and  our  magistrates  against  the  gen- 
eral, who  has  been  unable,  up  to  this  day,  to  recover  his 
freedom  under  bail.  But  somebody  has  called  me," 
here  observed  the  keeper.  "  It  is  a  bank-teller,  who 
after  leading  for  many  years  an  exemplary  life,  fell  into 
the  snares  of  a  concert-saloon  siren.  His  defalcations 
amount  to  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  ;  and  the  queer 
part  of  the  story  is,  he  hardly  spent  the  third  of  that  large 
amount  with  the  waiter-girl — the  greater  portion  having 
been  extorted  from  him  by  two  or  three  scamps,  under  a 
threat  of  making  known  his  intrigue  to  the  bank  officers. 
The  subsidies  they  obtained  in  that  way  were  almost  in- 
stantly lost  at  the  gaming-table.  Fortunately  for  the  tell- 
er, he  is  afflicted  with  consumption,  induced  by  the  damp- 
ness of  this  building,  and  is  in  a  fair  way  to  soon  get  rid 
of  a  burdensome  life.  Our  magistrates,  aware  that  he  is 
beyond  all  hopG  of  recovery,  allow  him  to  rest  in  peace." 

"  I  am  sorry,"  said  Asmodeus,  thanking  the  keeper  for 
these  details,  "you  have  no  time  to  show  us  a  few  ce- 
lebrities of  the  fair  sex." 

"  I  have  scarcely  one  worth  seeing,"  replied  the  keeper, 
"with  the  exception  of  a  young  girl  who  murdered  her 
mistress  through  motives  of  jealousy.  The  jury  have  just 
returned  a  verdict  of  guilty,  and  she  will  not  be  sentenced 
till  to-morrow,  as  the  judge  of  the  court  wanted  twenty- 
four  hours  to  prepare,  a  speech  for  the  occasion.  As 
soon  as  the  verdict  was  returned,  the  girl  confessed  that 
she  alone  had  assassinated  her  mistress ;  and  her  counsel, 
who  had  represented  her  to  the  jury  as  pure  and  innocent 
as  a  lamb,  are  of  course  indignant  at  such  indecorous  pro- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  267 

ceedings  and  treachery.  Females,  you  know,  are  wor- 
shiped in  this  country,  and  unless  they  have  committed 
some  atrocious  offense,  our  magistrates  generally  dismiss 
with  but  a  gentle  reprimand  those  brought  into  their  pre- 
sence by  the  police." 

As  we  left  the  prison,  Asmodeus  observed  that  crimes 
as  villainous  as  those  which  European  newspapers  frequent- 
ly relate,  are  seldom  heard  of  in  the  United  States. 

"  Outrages  against  property,"  said  he — "  I  mean  thefts 
and  robberies — are  certainly  of  less  frequent  occurrence 
here  than  in  Europe,  as  also  outrages  against  persons. 
Cases  of  intoxication  and  disorderly  conduct  fill  up  to  a 
great  extent  the  criminal  calendar  and  statistics.  In  a 
country  where  wages  are  high  and  the  means  of  acquiring 
property  within  the  reach  of  every  energetic  man,  burglary 
and  theft  should  be  less  common  than  in  those  countries 
where  one  can  hardly  obtain  a  living  by  his  labor.  On 
the  other  hand,  evil-doers  are  not  ignorant  of  the  fact  that 
the  banks  are  the  great  depositories  of  the  circulating 
medium  and  other  values.  A  robber  does  not  covet  an 
empty  portfolio,  and  seldom  cares  to  break  into  a  house, 
because  he  knows  there  is  nothing  but  cumbersome  fur- 
niture to  be  carried  off.  The  habit  of  depositing  their 
money  in  banks,  and  drawing  checks  for  it,  is  so  general 
with  Americans,  that  very  few  keep  at  home  important 
sums  of  money. 

"  Concerning  personal  security,  it  is  as  great  in  the 
United  States  as  in  any  other  country,  and  perhaps 
greater.  Of  course,  in  such  a  large  city  as  New- York,  if 
an  imprudent  man  inclines  to  frequent  places  resorted  to 
by  sailors  and  other  rough  customers,  I  will  not  vouch  for 
his  safety ;  dens  of  this  kind  offer  the  same  perils  every- 
where. These  cases  excepted,  I  maintain  that  any  body 


268  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

may  travel  throughout  all  the  States — North  and  South, 
East  and  West — without  incurring  any  more  danger  to  his 
personal  safety  than  if  he  were  in  Normandy  at  the  time 
of  the  good  Duke  Rollo.  Nay,  America  is  the  only  coun- 
try in  the  world  where  women  may  travel  alone,  confident 
that,  in  case  of  insult,  they  will  find  ready  protectors  every- 
where. 

"  I  propose,"  continued  Asmodeus,  "  to  pursue  our  in- 
spection of  the  public  institutions  in  the  city  of  New- York. 
There  is  near  by  a  hospital  worth  seeing ;  you  will  have 
an  excellent  opportunity  to  compare  it  with  institutions 
founded  in  Europe  for  the  benefit  of  diseased  or  incapaci- 
tated persons." 

Asmodeus  was  right:  the  hospital  we  visited  was 
worthy,  in  every  respect,  of  such  a  city  as  New- York. 
Clean,  well-ventilated,  and  kept  in  fine  order,  it  offered 
the  unfortunates  obliged  to  avail  themselves  of  its  hospi- 
tality conditions  of  comfort  they  seemed  highly  to  appre- 
ciate. Unfortunately,  vast  as  is  the  establishment,  there 
is  room  but  for  a  restricted  number  of  patients  ;  and  here, 
again,  the  growth  of  the  American  metropolis  has  got  the 
start  of  public  charity.  That  charity,  however,  is  praise- 
worthy. Nowhere,  according  to  Asmodeus,  are  its  works 
more  multiplied,  its  efforts  more  persevering,  than  in  the 
United  States.  There  are,  in  New- York,  asylums  for 
foundlings,  for  old  persons  of  both  sexes,  and  for  the 
blind ;  almshouses,  small-pox  hospitals,  homes  and  asy- 
lums for  colored  persons,  etc.  Religious  influence  has 
also  been  at  work  to  erect  hospitals  for  members  of  the 
most  important  Christian  denominations.  In  numerous 
instances,  wealthy  persons  have  bequeathed  a  portion  of 
their  fortune  to  either  founding  or  endowing  benevolent 
institutions. 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  269 

"But  withal,"  said  Asmodeus,  "the  multitudinous 
wants  of  the  vast  population  are  far  from  being  satisfied. 
The  mortality  is  very  large  in  New- York,  especially  in  the 
poor  districts ;  though  no  city  in  the  world  can  boast  of  a 
more  salubrious  location,  and  consequently,  life  should  be 
longer  on  an  average  here  than  anywhere  else.  But  not 
far  from  those  palatial  residences  and  splendid  streets 
that  make  New- York  one  of  the  most  beautiful  cities  in 
the  world,  thousands  of  tenement-houses  have  been  built. 
Out  of  a  million  inhabitants,  more  than  one  half  dwell  in 
those  tenement-houses,  which  are  so  constructed  as  to  be 
deprived  of  free  ventilation,  and  in  which  every  indispen- 
sable condition  for  health  has  been  entirely  overlooked. 
The  consequence  of  such  a  state  of  things  is  a  fearful  in- 
crease of  mortality  among "  working-men,  and  principally 
their  children.  While  for  the  wealthy  classes  of  New- 
York,  residing  in  salubrious  streets,  the  average  of  life  is 
fifty-two  years,  it  is  but  seventeen  in  crowded  districts.  It 
has  been  stated  that,  in  thousands  of  cases,  a  single  room 
is  occupied  by  a  whole  family,  in  which  they  cook,  eat,  and 
sleep — all  huddled  together,  father,  mother,  and  children. 
Often  as  many  as  three  families  occupy  the  same  room. 
So,  you  see,  all  the  miseries  attending  the  working  classes 
in  Europe  are  also  to  be  found  in  the  New  World  ;  for,  if 
the  wages  of  working-men  are  higher  in  the  United  States, 
their  wants  are  greater  than  in  Europe,  and  all  seem  to 
be  addicted  to  an  unwholesome  love  of  expense.  When 
we  bear  in  mind  that  any  man  is  at  liberty  to  remove  not 
only  to  the  Far  West  and  new  Territories,  but  to  many 
Middle  and  Western  States,  and  there  cultivate  land  that 
will  become  his  own  after  fulfilling  a  few  easy  conditions, 
we  can  not  but  wonder  at  the  persistency  of  large  num- 
bers of  poor  people  in  living  in  our  overcrowded  cities. 


270  Asmodeus  in  Neto-York. 

Many  want  the  energy  necessary  to  lead  a  pioneer's  life  ; 
and  others  are  too  fond  of  the  allurements  offered  by  vast 
aggregations  of  men.  In  Europe,  with  a  crowded  popula- 
tion and  poorly  remunerated  labor,  it  is  almost  impossible 
for  a  man  to  better  his  condition ;  but  the  reverse  is  the 
case  in  the  United  States  j  and  when  Americans  assert 
that  misery  should  not  exist  in  their  country,  that  there  is 
room  for  every  body,  and  plenty  to  spare,  they  simply  state 
a  fact  that  can  not  be  denied." 

We  noticed  many  young  men  in  the  hospital -yard. 
Some,  as  we  were  informed,  were  attached  to  the  institu- 
tion as  helps  to  the  physicians  ;  and  others  had  come  to 
listen  to  a  renowned  professor,  who  was  to  commence  that 
day  a  course  of  lectures  on  anatomy.  Asmodeus  pro- 
posed we  should  mingle  with  the  young  men,  and  listen 
to  the  professor.  So  we  entered  a  sort  of  amphitheatre, 
where,  from  a  very  nauseous  smell  that  saluted  our  nos- 
trils, we  conjectured  anatomical  operations  were  conducted. 
Our  surmises  proved  correct ;  for  our  eyes  soon  fell  upon 
an  object  of  an  oblong  shape,  covered  with  a  blanket,  and 
lying  on  a  large  marble  table. 

The  professor,  a  well-proportioned,  handsome  man,  com- 
menced his  lecture  by  a  historical  sketch  of  the  medical 
art. 

"  In  all  rude  nations,"  said  he,  "  priests  are  the  physi- 
cians ;  they  attend  to  the  soul  as  well  as  the  body.  Thus 
it  was  among  the  Egyptians  and  Greeks  ;  and  in  our  day, 
such  is  the  case  among  the  Indian  tribes.  But  with  a 
people  so  well  endowed,  intellectually,  as  the  Athenians, 
medicine  could  not  fail  to  become  elevated  to  the  rank  of 
a  science,  and  its  practitioners  were  soon  honored  by  their 
countrymen.  Among  the  Romans,  in  the  early  days  of 
Rome,  medicine  was  despised,  and  practiced  by  slaves 


Asmodeus  in  New -York,  271 

only.  But  a  change  for  the  better  took  place  when  the 
liberal  arts,  imported  from  Greece,  were  cultivated  by  the 
Romans.  Physicians,  under  the  first  Caesar,  obtained  the 
right  of  citizenship ;  but  his  successor  went  further — he 
raised  to  the  rank  of  knight  a  physician  who  had  cured 
him  of  a  serious  disease.  Still  many  years  elapsed  before 
the  law  exacted  from  practitioners  guarantees  of  capacity 
and  proofs  of  competency.  Any  one  calling  himself  a 
physician  could  exercise  his  profession,  until  it  was  enacted 
by  Christian  emperors  that  physicians,  before  being  al- 
lowed to  practice,  must  submit  to  an  examination  by 
learned  practitioners.  When  deemed  competent,  they 
were  licensed. 

"  After  the  fall  of  the  Roman  empire,  medicine,  as  a 
science,  disappeared  ;  and  in  the  middle  ages,  it  was  prac- 
ticed exclusively  by  the  clergy.  But  as  clergymen  were 
forbidden  to  shed  blood,  surgical  operations  were  confided 
to  an  inferior  class.  In  that  way  arose  the  fraternity  of 
barber-surgeons.  In  France,  only  a  few  lay- surgeons, 
under  the  title  of  the  Surgical  College  of  Saint  Damian, 
carried  on  a  determined  struggle  with  the  barbers,  and  also 
with  the  faculty  of  medicine,  until  the  year  1515,  when 
the  College  of  Saint  Damian  was  united  with  the  Uni- 
versity. Barbers,  from  that  time,  were  not  allowed  to 
practice  surgery,  unless  examined  by  two  surgeons  of  the 
king,  and  deemed  competent.  Surgery  now  rose  rapidly 
in  honor,  and  the  surgeons'  importance  to  the  community 
was  no  longer  questioned. 

"  In  France,  medicine  is  not  separated  from  surgery ;  but 
in  England,  the  two  colleges  of  surgeons  and  physicians 
remain  perfectly  distinct. 

"In  the  United  States,  medical  institutions,  like  the 


272  Asmodeus  in  New  -  York. 

French  universities,  give  a  common  degree  of  medicine 
and  surgery." 

After  this  sketch,  the  professor  complained  of  the  diffi- 
culty of  acquiring,  in  the  United  States,  knowledge  and 
skill  respecting  surgical  operations — a  state  of  things  at- 
tributable to  popular  prejudices  and  objections  to  analysis 
or  dissection  of  dead  bodies. 

"  It  is  impossible,"  said  he,  "  for  young  men  to  become 
conversant  with  and  skillful  in  the  treatment  of  the  dis- 
eases our  organs  are  heir  to,  if  they  are  ignorant  of  the 
correct  place  in  the  body  of  every  muscle,  fibre,  and  sinew, 
and  their  connection  with  each  other — a  knowledge  that 
can  be  possessed  only  by  a  thorough  examination  and 
analysis  of  the  body's  flesh  and  bones  ;  and  to  acquire 
which,  nfany  true  lovers  of  medical  science  are  often  ob- 
liged to  go  abroad." 

Then  he  objected  to  the  short  duration  of  medical  stu- 
dies. "  After  two  years'  attendance,"  said  he,  "  on  lectures 
from  physicians,  more  or  less  authorized  to  teach  youth, 
our  young  men  obtain  a  diploma  of  doctor  of  medicine^ 
and  forthwith  commence  to  practice  an  art  the  very  first 
rudiments  of  which  they  do  not  understand. 

"  We  even  have  in  our  midst,  many  who  practice  without 
a  diploma ! 

"Medicine  must  be  free,  of  course,  like  other  professions. 
But  the  principle  of  freedom  that  governs  human  labor  in 
all  its  branches,  in  our  democratic  institutions,  would  not 
be  imperiled  were  true  guarantees  of  competency  exacted 
from  practitioners.  This  observation  may  be  applied  with 
equal  force  to  druggists  and  apothecaries.  No  guarantee 
of  their  capacity  is  required  from  the  twenty  thousand 
individuals  who  prepare  prescriptions  throughout  the 
States — hence  the  fatal  errors  daily  recorded  by  news- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  273 

papers.  I  am  aware  that  a  physician,  in  undertaking  the 
treatment  of  a  patient,  assumes  legal  responsibilities.  The 
law  holds  that  he  must  be  in  possession  of  a  reasonable 
amount  of  learning,  skill,  and  experience  ;  and  in  case  of 
malpractice,  or  of  gross  ignorance,  he  is  exposed  to  heavy 
damages  ;  but  leaving  such  instances  out  of  consideration, 
I  maintain  that  a  medical  man,  professing  to  deal  with 
human  life,  is  in  conscience  bound  to  be  possessed  of  com- 
petent skill,  which  he  can  only  acquire  by  long  and  patient 
study." 

The  professor  informed  his  pupils  that  he  expected  to 
have  an  abundant  supply  of  subjects  during  his  course  of 
lectures,  so  as  to  illustrate  and  confirm  his  theories  and 
teachings  by  a  tangible  examination  and  comparison  of 
the  human  organic  structure.  "  For,"  he  concluded,  "  when 
the  divine  spirit  that  animates  the  human  body  has  de- 
parted, nothing  but  clay  remains ;  and  to  examine  into  it, 
in  order  to  find  out  the  locality  of  disease,  and  thus  be 
enabled  afterward  to  cure  it,  is  a  consummation  that  de- 
serves the  thanks  instead  of  the  disfavor  of  the  commu- 
nity." 

After  these  words,  he  went  to  the  marble  table  upon 
which  the  subject  was  lying,  and  bade  his  pupils  re- 
move the  blanket  enveloping  it.  Then  appeared  to  the 
gaze  the  remains  of  a  young  woman  —  tall,  admirably 
formed,  and  retaining  a  surprising  beauty  in  the  very  em- 
brace of  death.  When  the  professor's  eye  fell  upon  the 
features  of  the  corpse,  he  started  back  as  though  overcome 
with  horror.  Then,  becoming  pale  and  bewildered,  and 
trembling  as  with  a  fit  of  ague,  he  looked  mournfully  at 
the  body,  and  in  broken  accents,  with  a  sobbing  sigh,  like 
a  man  prostrated  by  immense  and  sudden  affliction,  he 
staggered  and  fell  heavily  to  the  floor. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

IN  WHICH  ASMODEUS  RELATES  DOCTOR  SAUNDERS's  HISTORY. 

DECLARE,"  said  Asmodeus,  while  we  were 
leaving  the  hall,  "New- York  is  a  queer 
place.  One  can  scarcely  take  a  step  without 
falling  upon  a  dramatic  picture  of  human  life. 
Just  see  that  eminent  professor — a  worthy  man,  besides — 
how  could  he  suspect,  when  he  procured  a  dead  body  for 
the  opening  of  his  lectures,  it  would  be  just  that  of  a  former 
sweetheart !  What  singular  incidents  occur  in  this  great 
planet  of  ours !" 

"  Why,  was  it  the  corpse  of  his  former  mistress  he  was 
about  to  cut  with  his  scalpel,  and  whose  sight  so  tragically 
ended  his  lecture  ?" 

"  Certainly,  it  was.  A  mistress  he  tenderly  loved,  and 
whose  whereabouts  he  had  been  vainly  trying  to  ascertain 
for  three  years  past.  Science  alone  could  console  his 
mind  and  reconcile  him  to  his  melancholy  separation.  It 
will  now  be  more  than  ever  the  object  of  his  devotion." 

"  Do  you  know  the  history  of  the  doctor  and  of  this  un- 
fortunate woman  ?" 

"  What  a  question  !  I  had  foreseen,  my  dear  sir,"  coolly 
replied  Asmodeus,  "  the  sad  occurrence  which  terminated 
the  doctor's  lecture,  while  I  was  taking  you  to  the  hospi- 
tal. And  now  I  will  commence  the  doctor's  history." 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  275 

DOCTOR    SAUNDERS'S     HISTORY. 

"  The  hero  of  this  story  is  not  yet  thirty  years  old,  and 
is  already  celebrated  in  America.  He  has  discovered  a 
process  to  cure  consumptive  and  asthmatic  persons,  which 
consists,  I  believe,  in  the  inhalation  of  ether ;  and  as  a 
lecturer,  his  talent  is  really  of  a  superior  order. 

"  Born  of  poor  parents,  his  serious  turn  of  mind  and 
great  desire  for  learning,  while  attending  a  public  school, 
were  noticed  by  one  of  the  professors.  This  gentleman 
advised  young  Saunders's  parents  to  confide  their  son  to 
him,  as  he  would  like  to  complete  his  education.  He  found? 
soon  after,  to  help  him  in  his  good  work,  a  Boston  mer- 
chant. The  latter  took  charge  of  the  boy,  and  placed  him 
in  one  of  the  best  Boston  schools.  His  intention,  at  first, 
was  to  make  a  merchant  of  him,  when  of  age.  But  he  had 
the  good  sense  to  consult  Saunders's  disposition  when  his 
education  was  finished.  The  young  man  evinced  a  prefer- 
ence for  the  medical  art;  and  in  consequence,  his  pro- 
tector sent  him  to  New- York,  where,  after  two  years  of 
diligent  study,  he  obtained  the  degree  of  doctor  of  medicine 
from  the  medical  college. 

"At  that  time  Saunders's  protector  was  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  merchants  of  Boston.  His  main  business  con- 
sisted in  shipping  ice  to  nearly  every  part  of  the  world. 
The  ice  trade  was  quite  insignificant  at  the  beginning  of 
the  present  century,  and  for  a  long  time  was  monopolized 
by  two  or  three  merchants,  who  had  taken  it  into  their 
minds  to  turn  to  account  the  ice  of  the  New- England  lakes. 
Competition  soon  followed,  when  the  taste  for  this  cheap 
luxury  spread. from  the  Southern  and  Western  States  to 
the  West-Indies,  South- America,  even  India  and  China ; 
and  Saunders's  protector  was  one  of  the  merchants  who 


276  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

competed  with  this  monopoly.  Success  had  early  re- 
warded his  enterprise.  He  began  to  live  in  high  style, 
and,  as  is  customary  with  most  Americans,  he  spent  all  his 
profits.  Saving,  as  I  have  already  observed,  is  an  excep- 
tion in  this  country ;  few  merchants  provide  for  losses  and 
reverses,  and  many  even  spend  beforehand  their  expected 
profits. 

"  The  merchant's  wife  helped  him,  as  much  as  she  could, 
to  squander  the  profits  of  this  ice  trade.  When,  after  years 
of  hard  toil,  people  become  prosperous,  they  often  turn  ex- 
travagant and  lose  control  over  themselves  ;  they  imagine 
their  prosperity  will  never  cease ;  and  Mr.  Brainless  (such 
was  the  name  of  the  Boston  merchant)  was  fated,  as  will 
be  seen,  to  add  his  name  to  those  of  many  Americans  who, 
after  living  in  affluence  and  realizing  large  'profits,  end 
their  lives  in  misery, 

"  Mr.  Brainless  possessed  a  benevolent  disposition, 
which  he  strikingly  exhibited  toward  Saunders.  Not  sa- 
tisfied with  paying  for  the  primary  education  of  the  young 
man,  he  displayed  the  same  generosity  when  Saunders 
went  to  New- York,  sending  him  money  to  pay  for  his 
board  and  other  expenses  attending  his  medical  studies. 
Mr.  Brainless  found  a  reward  for  his  liberality  in  the  praise 
bestowed  on  the  young  man  by  his  professors.  The  pro- 
gress of  Saunders  in  medical  science  was,  in  fact,  rapid 
and  promising ;  and  his  protector,  who  continued  to  be 
prosperous  in  his  trade,  had  come  to  think  that  Providence 
favored  him  for  his  giving  a  helping  hand  to  the  young 
man.  The  latter  was  looked  upon  by  the  family  of  Mr. 
Brainless  as  one  of  its  members  ;  he  spent  the  holidays 
with  it ;  and  an  ardent  affection  had  sprung  up  between  him 
and  the  eldest  daughter  of  his  protector,  to  the  apparent 
satisfaction  of  the  parents. 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  277 

"  Delia,  and  a  sister  two  years  younger,  were  the  only 
children  of  Mr.  Brainless ;  and  his  wife  had  early  taught 
them  her  own  ideas  as  regards  American  ladies — that 
is,  that  they  are  born  to  adorn  the  world 'and  govern  the 
other  sex.  As  a  consequence,  they  worshiped  luxury,  and 
were  not  tempered  to  undergo  with  fortitude  the  many 
trials  of  life. 

"  Most  assuredly,  many  American  ladies  are  prepared 
for  all  emergencies.  Not  a  few  follow  their  husbands  to 
the  Far  West,  and  aid  the  bold  pioneers  in  the  good  work 
of  carrying  American  civilization  beyond  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains. But,  as  a  truthful  historian,  I  must  add  that  young 
ladies,  brought  up  amid  the  luxuries  and  pleasures  of  large 
cities,  object  more  and  more  to  a  dull  and  solitary  life  in  re- 
mote and  thinly  settled  parts  of  the  country.  Hence  the 
great  number  of  bachelors  in  the  new  States  and  territories, 
and  the  plethora  of  maidens  in  the  Atlantic  States — espe- 
cially in  those  included  in  the  section  of  country  known 
as  New-England. 

"  Saunders,  after  obtaining  his  degree  of  doctor,  return- 
ed to  Boston.  Delia  was  at  that  time  in  the  full  bloom  of 
her  beauty,  and  courted  by  many  young  men.  Her  parents 
were  reputed  wealthy,  and  therefore,  many  a  young  Bos- 
tonian,  beside  his  admiration  for  Miss  Brainless,  would 
have  been  glad  to  marry  her,  with  the  cherished  prospect 
of  being,  at  a  future  day,  her  father's  partner  in  business. 
But,  as  I  said  before,  the  young  lady  loved  Saunders  ;  and 
they  were  engaged  a  few  months  -  after  the  return  of  the 
latter. 

"When  informed  of  that  circumstance,  Mr.  Brainless 
did  not  object  to  the  marriage  of  the  young  couple.  But 
he  wisely  observed  to  Saunders  that  he  thought  him  too 
young  to  marry  then,  and  that  his  daughter,  not  yet  eighteen 


278  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

years  old,  could  wait  for  him  a  couple  of  years  under  the 
paternal  roof.  That  time,  he  said,  Saunders  could  devote 
to  the  study  of  medicine  in  France  ;  and  if  he  could  suc- 
ceed in  getting  a  diploma  from  the  Paris  University,  his 
fortune  in  the  United  States  would  amount  to  a  certainty  ; 
as  the  public  is  aware  that  the  medical  education  young 
men  can  procure  in  the  United  States  is  but  superficial — 
hence  the  general  preference  for  those  physicians  who  have 
been  able  to  perfect  their  medical  study  in  Europe. 

"  These  observations  deeply  impressed  Saunders's  mind. 
To  complete  in  Paris  his  medical  attainments  was  the-  se- 
cret desire  of  his  heart.  He  loved  Delia,  but  he  loved 
science  also  ;  and  he  well  knew  he  had  acquired  but  the 
rudiments  of  medicine.  Europe  alone  offered  him  the 
means  to  complete  his  education  ;  and  he  was  delighted  to 
think  he  might  be  an  honor  to  the  profession,  after  return- 
ing to  America.  Would  not  Delia  also  be  proud  to  marry 
a  man  of  science  and  reputation  ? 

"  When  he  was  ready  to  depart,  Mr.  Brainless  put  in 
Saunders's  hand  a  sufficient  sum  of  money  to  secure  him  a 
living  in  Paris  during  two  years  ;  and  after  exchanging  the 
usual  vows  of  eternal  love  with  Delia,  our  future  celebrity 
sailed  for  Europe. 

"A  few  letters  of  introduction,  from  some  Americans  of 
high  standing  in  science,  opened  to  him  the  doors  of  all 
the  learned  societies  of  Paris.  Besides,  strangers  are  sure 
to  be  warmly  welcomed  in  France,  when  they  go  there  for 
the  purpose  of  enlightening  their  minds — thus  paying  an 
admiring  tribute  to  the  scientific  institutions  of  that  coun- 
try. Saunders  had,  in  consequence,  no  trouble  in  getting 
admitted,  as  an  assistant  physician,  into  one  of  the  Paris 
hospitals  ;  and  he  devoted  himself  to  learning  with  indo- 
mitable energy.  He  regularly  wrote,  concerning  himself 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  279 

and  his  studies,  to  Mr.  Brainless,  who  answered  him  with 
a  merchant's  regularity.  Delia  also  added,  from  time  to 
time,  a  few  lines  to  her  father's  letters ;  and  thus,  divided 
between  love  and  study,  time  passed  rapidly  and  pleasant- 
ly with  Saunders. 

"  But  he  met  with  an  unexpected  disappointment  when 
the  two  years  he  purposed  to  spend  in  Paris  were  elapsed  : 
he  was  obliged  to  prolong  his  stay  in  the  French  capital, 
as  the  long-desired  diploma  from  the  Paris  University 
could  be  obtained  only  after  a  three  years'  course  of  study  ; 
and  sorely  grieved  at  this  unlooked-for  turn  of  affairs,  he 
imparted  the  news  to  his  protector  and  to  Delia.  While 
thanking  Mr.  Brainless  for  his  past  and  present  liberality, 
he  informed  him  he  was  now  able,  through  the  salary  he 
received  from  the  hospital  managers,  to  provide  for  him- 
self; and  he  wrote  to  Delia  to  assure  her  of  his  unfailing 
love,  begging  her  to  wait  for  him  a  year  longer.  Mr. 
Brainless  and  his  daughter  sent  him  encouraging  words  ; 
their  feelings  for  him,  they  said,  remained  unchanged  ;  and 
Delia,  in  particular,  wrote  him  that,  as  she  had  waited  two, 
she  could  easily  wait  one  year  longer,  adding,  in  a  some- 
what coquettish  manner,  that,  by  that  time,  she  would  be 
hardly  of  age.  But,  as  will  be  seen,  serious  and  sad  events 
in  the  Brainless  family  took  place  during  the  few  months 
Saunders  was  obliged  to  prolong  his  stay  abroad. 

"  Mr.  Brainless  had  been  singularly  fortunate  in  his  spec- 
ulations as  long  as  he  had  confined  them  to  shipping  ice. 
But,  in  an  evil  hour,  he  entered  into  a  combination  with  a 
few  capitalists,  which  proved  disastrous.  Their  object  was 
to  monopolize  the  cotton  crop,  so  as  to  determine  an  ad- 
vance in  price,  and  sell  the  article  at  an  advantage.  Many 
banks  of  Boston  and  New- York  became  interested  in  this 
scheme,  and  a  large  quantity  of  cotton  was  purchased,  at 


280  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

a  low  rate,  throughout  the  South,  while  none  was  selling 
in  the  North.  The  effects  of  the  combination  were  soon 
felt  in  the  Atlantic  ports  ;  and  the  difference  between  the 
purchase  price  of  the  article  and  its  actual  market  value 
represented  profits  to  the  amount  of  several  millions  of  dol- 
lars, when  a  financial  crisis  burst  out  in  England,  owing  to 
sundry  changes  the  Ritualists  endeavored  to  introduce  into 
the  liturgy.  Within  a  few  days,  tidings  reached  here  that  the 
hours  for  labor  had  been  shortened  in  Manchester  ;  then 
came  news  that  some  factories  had  been  obliged  to  close  ; 
again,  that  the  crisis  was  spreading  over  all  the  continent ; 
finally,  that  enormous  quantities  of  Indian  cotton  were 
shipping  for  Liverpool,  so  that  there  was  no  prospect  of  a 
demand,  for  several  months  to  come,  for  the  American  tex- 
tile. 

"  The  influence  of  this  sad  news  was  decisive.  The  price 
of  cotton,  in  New- York  and  Boston,  fell  rapidly ;  and  all 
the  efforts  of  the  confederates  to  stop  its  depreciation  were 
powerless.  They  had  accumulated  an  immense  stock,  with 
the  expectation'of  dictating  their  own  conditions  to  foreign 
markets  ;  and  now  the  latter  did  not  want  the  article  at  any 
price.  At  the  same  time,  the  promissory  notes  given  in 
payment  tc  Southern  planters  and  cotton-brokers  were 
coming  to  maturity ;  and  the  confederated  speculators  were 
doomed  to  a  dreadful  catastrophe.  Compared  with  the 
purchase  price,  cotton  was  now  five  cents  lower  per  pound  ! 
The  banks  withdrew  their  credit,  and  Mr.  Brainless  and  all 
his  associates,  being  immediately  subjected  to  unrelenting 
prosecutions  from  the  very  monetary  establishments  that 
had  countenanced,  at  its  inception,  their  monopolizing  op- 
erations, were  obliged  to  fail. 

"  In  a  few  weeks,  Saunders's  benefactor  was  so  far  re- 
duced as  to  be  compelled  to  appeal  to  his  friends  for  means 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  281 

to  live.  All  his  property  had  been  either  attached  or  sold  ; 
and  when  he  saw  the  result  of  twenty  years'  hard  labor 
swept  away,  as  by  a  whirlwind,  his  mental  faculties  gave 
way ;  in  a  short  time  he  became  so  much  demented  that  he 
was  confined  in  the  State  insane  asylum. 

"  Unfortunately  for  Mrs.  Brainless  and  her  children,  she 
had  not  imitated  the  foresight  of  many  American  women, 
who  urge  their  husbands,  as  soon  as  their  business  permits 
them  to  do  so,  to  purchase  a  house.  The  house  so  pur- 
chased belongs  to  the  wife  ;  and  whatever  be  the  vicissitudes 
of  her  husband's  affairs,  his  creditors  can  not  touch  it,  un- 
less they  prove  it  has  been  purchased  out  of  their  own  mo- 
ney. As  it  was,  Mr.  Brainless,  during  his  prosperity,  had 
not  thought  of  this  prudential  course ;  and  so,  when  the 
crash  came,  his  wife  and  children  were  actually  houseless 
and  homeless. 

"  Under  these  painful  circumstances,  Delia  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  write  to  Saunders,  and  inform  him  of  the  misfortunes 
that  had  befallen  their  family.  Though  she  did  not  tell  him 
what  he  should  do,  she  did  not  conceal  from  her  lover  that 
three  unfortunate  women  had  now  no  one  else  but  him  in 
the  world  they  could  depend  upon. 

"  Unfortunately,  Saunders  had  left  Paris  when  Delia's 
letter  arrived.  He  was  one  of  a  committee  of  young  phy- 
sicians the  French  government  had  sent  to  Asia,  for  the 
purpose  of  investigating  the  causes  of  an  epidemic  disease, 
and  had  been  himself  affected  by  it,  and  obliged  to  stay 
several  months  in  Constantinople.  When  he  returned  to 
Paris,  after  his  recovery,  and  saw  Delia's  letter,  he  at  once 
acted  as  became  a  high-toned  gentleman.  He  immedi- 
ately took  leave  of  the  numerous  friends  Ife  had  made 
among  the  learned  society  of  Paris  ;  and,  handsomely  re- 
warded by  the  French  government  for  his  devotedness  to 


282  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

the  cause  of  mankind  during  his  stay  in  Asia,  he  sailed 
for  the  United  States. 

"  As  soon  as  he  arrived,  he  went  to  Boston  to  see  the 
Brainless  family  ;  but  he  learned  they  had  left  that  place, 
nearly  one  year  before,  with  the.  apparent  determination  to 
settle  in  New- York.  He  at  once  returned  to  this  city,  and, 
after  many  pertinacious  researches,  he  succeeded  in  ascer- 
taining that  Mrs.  Brainless  had  kept  a  boarding-house  in 
New- York,  and  had,  after  a  few  months,  failed  in  her  un- 
dertaking. Furthermore  he  could  not  learn.  Neverthe- 
less, the  doctor  continued  his  search,  and  through  the  news- 
papers tried  to  obtain  some  information  concerning  the 
whereabouts  of  the  persons  to  whom  he  was  so  tenderly 
attached.  He  repeatedly  advertised  in  the  West,  in  the 
South  —  wherever  he  thought  his  inquiries  might  be  suc- 
cessful. But  all  his  expense  and  exertion  proved  fruitless. 

"  In  the  mean  while,  the  fame  he  had  acquired  in  Europe 
rapidly  spread  over  the  United  States.  He  had  hardly  ar- 
rived in  New- York,  when  he  was  surrounded  by  enthusias- 
tic friends  ;  and  the  door  of  his  house  was  besieged  with 
patients  as  soon  as  it  became  known  he  would  thenceforth 
devote  his  attainments  to  his  native  land.  Modest,  as  are  all 
men  of  real  merit,  affable  to  every  body,  he  is  very  popular. 
An  honor  to  his  profession,  his  most  extravagant  dreams 
of  fortune  are  realized. 

"  In  the  midst  of  the  many  cares  imposed  upon  him  by 
the  position  he  had  attained,  Saunders  did  not  relinquish 
his  search  for  his  benefactor's  wife  and  daughters.  He 
has  placed  poor  Brainless  in  Dr.  Greedy's  insane  asylum, 
and  he  goes  there  every  week,  spending  a  few  hours  with 
the  unfortunate  man.  Wealthy  and  celebrated,  he  knows 
the  debt  of  gratitude  he  owes  to  every  member  of  a  family 
that,  at  the  time  of  its  prosperity,  had  adopted  him  ;  be- 


Asmodcus  in  New -York.  283 

sides,  he  had  kept  in  his  heart,  as  intense  as  in  his  youth, 
his  love  for  Delia.  When,  a  few  weeks  ago,  he  was  pursu- 
ing his  investigation  concerning  her  throughout  Canada, 
France,  and  California,  he  was  far  from  suspecting  she  was 
living  in  New- York,  and  but  a  few  doors  from  his  house. 
What  had  become  of  her  and  the  other  members  of  the 
family,  after  Mr.  Brainless's  bankruptcy,  remains  to  be  said. 

"  When  an  American  lady,  reduced  in  circumstances,  is 
obliged  to  labor  to  support  her  existence,  she  promptly 
comes  to  a  determination.  She  does  not  think  of  keeping  a 
millinery  or  a  hosiery  store  ;  to  turn  mantua  maker ;  to  keep 
a  school  for  children ;. but  her  mind  settles  at  once  upon 
opening  a  boarding-house. 

"  American  women  dislike  manual  labor ;  few  are  fitted 
to  keep  a  store,  and  still  less  to  manage  female  opera- 
tives, for  the  very  reason  that  they  have  not  been  brought 
up  to  a  trade  ;  and,  to  be  able  to  manage  others,  whatever 
be  the  branch  of  labor,  the  manager  must  be  thoroughly 
acquainted  with  it.  This  mischievous  condition  of  females 
in  the  United  States  begins,  justly,  to  attract  the  at- 
tention of  philanthropists.  It  is  all  very  well  to  assert  that 
American  women  are  not  born  for  work ;  that  the  only 
parts  assigned  to  them  in  life,  are  those  of  wives  and  mo- 
thers. These  assertions,  pleasing  as  they  are  in  theory, 
are  not  indorsed  by  the  stern  logic  of  fact,  thousands  and 
thousands  of  women  being  compelled  to  work  in  the  United 
States,  as  well  as  in  Europe,  unless  they  choose  to  starve. 
For  here,  as  in  Europe,  few  only  are  born  in  affluence. 
But  many  occupations,  within  the  reach  of  women,  can  afford 
them  a  living,  when  they  choose  to  procure  an  honest 
means  of  subsistence,  and  when  mothers  learn  to  bring 
up  their  daughters  properly,  by  instructing  and  prepar- 


2  84  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

ing  them  to  meet  all  the  emergencies  of  life,  instead  of 
merely  making  of  them  priestesses  of  fashion. 

"  To-day,  as  a  consequence  of  the  education  they  re- 
ceive, growing  up  amid  prejudices  and  deceit,  American 
women  often  lack  fortitude  in  the  hour  of  misfortune. 
Proud  to  a  fault,  they  know  how  to  conceal  their  wants. 
When  young,  they  often  have  recourse  to  questionable 
means  to  release  themselves  from  embarrassment ;  and, 
after  their  youth  has  faded,  they  take  to  keeping  a  board- 
ing-house. 

"  Mrs.  Brainless  and  her  daughters,  unwilling  to  keep  a 
boarding-house  in  Boston,  the  place  of  their  former  pros- 
perity, had  come  to  New- York.  They  sold  their  jewels, 
and,  adding  the  money  thus  obtained  to  a  few  hundreds 
loaned  them  by  old  friends,  they  comfortably  furnished  a 
house  in  a  fashionable  street  of  this  city.  Unfortunately, 
Mrs.  Brainless,  lacking  experience  in  that  line  of  business, 
accepted  as  boarders  adventurous  young  men,  who  are  al- 
ways in  quest  of  new  establishments  of  that  kind.  They 
usually  paid  their  bills  by  taking  her  daughters  to  theatres 
and  other  places  of  amusement ;  and  she  was  soon  per- 
plexed with  debts  and  other  demands  beyond  her  means 
of  payment. 

"After  a  few  months,  the  dealers  who  supplied  Mrs. 
Brainless  with  provisions,  refused  to  longer  sell  on  credit. 
This  refusal  was  the  death-blow  to  her  enterprise.  Her 
boarders  left  the  house,  as  soon  as  scanty  meals  became 
the  daily  fare  ;  and  one  evening  Mrs.  Brainless  found  her- 
self alone  in  her  house,  with  only  her  two  daughters,  and  a 
Louisiana  planter,  enamoured  of  Delia,  and  who  had  made 
known  his  intention  to  share  the  family's  fortune.  A  few 
days  later,  the  furniture  was  sold  at  auction,  and  Mrs. 
Brainless,  her  daughters,  and  the  planter,  went  to  New- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  285 

Orleans.  They  had  been  there  but  a  few  days,  when  the 
old  lady  was  seized  with  yellow  fever,  and  died  in  her  chil- 
dren's arms. 

"  As  soon  as  Mrs.  Brainless  was  buried,  the  Southerner 
took  Delia  and  her  sister  to  a  villa  he  owned  on  the  banks 
of  Lake  Pontchartrain  ;  and  one  can  easily  imagine  what 
became,  shortly  after,  of  Doctor  Saunders's  betrothed,  alone 
as  she  was,  without  a  protector,  in  the  power  of  an  un- 
principled man.  For  six  months  she  remained  the  plant- 
er's mistress,  after  which  time  he  became  tired  of  her.  So, 
selling  out  his  villa,  he  returned  with  Delia  and  her  sister 
to  New-Orleans,  on  pretext  that  he  had  business  to  trans- 
act there.  They  stopped  at  a  house,  the  mysterious  be- 
havior of  whose  inmates  soon  aroused  painful  suspicions 
in  the  minds  of  the  two  sisters,  concerning  its  character. 
One  evening,  their  suspicions  were  confirmed.  The  plant- 
er coolly  told  them  he  was  going  to  Texas,  for  the  purpose 
of  making  money,  and  he  candidly  advised  them  not  to 
expect  him  back  before*  he  had  succeeded.  In  the  mean 
while,  they  could  find,  he  added,  in  the  very  house  at 
which  they  were  boarding,  many  admirers  to  provide  for 
their  wants. 

"  Brainless's  unfortunate  children  at  once  endeavored  to 
leave  that  abode  of  perdition  ;  but  the  landlady  refused  to 
allow  them  to  go  until  they  had  previously  paid  a  consid- 
erable sum  of  money  due  her  for  their  board.  Failing  to 
do  so,  they  were  forcibly  compelled  to  succumb  to  a  life 
of  untold  misery  and  shame.  Obliged  to  submit  to  every 
outrage  in  the  den  where  they  were  detained  as  prisoners, 
they  sought  to  forget  their  degradation  by  indulging  in 
noisy  dissipations.  Both  of  them,  under  assumed  names, 
became  the  stars  of  the  demi-monde  during  a  whole  winter ; 
and,  as  is  commonly  the  case  with  those  poor  creatures  lost 


. 

286  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 


to  chastity,  they  sank  rapidly  into  the  slough  of  vice  and 
corruption. 

"  After  leading  a  few  months  this  unnatural  life,  Delia's 
sister  was  drowned  in  the  Mississippi,  while  on  a  pleasure 
excursion  with  a  party  of  profligates ;  and  shortly  after, 
Delia  was  induced  by  the  captain  of  a  steamer  to  follow 
him  to  New- York. 

"  Once  in  the  great  metropolis,  Saunders's  former  sweet- 
heart abandoned  herself  more  than  ever  to  the  excitement 
of  the  hour.  She  began  to  exhibit  a  passion  for  spirituous 
liquors — perhaps  to  divert  her  mind  from  her  degraded 
position — and  soon  she  sank  so  low  as  to  become  a  fre- 
quenter of  those  infamous  haunts  where  thieves  and  the 
worst  characters  of  the  community  resort  to  escape  the 
surveillance  of  the  police. 

"  Eight  days  ago,  in  a  lucid  interval,  maddened  by  the 
horror  of  her  situation  and  the  recollection  of  the  past,  she 
came  to  a  terrible  resolution.  With  a  few  cents  she  had 
obtained  from  begging  in  the  streets,  she  purchased  some 
opium  •  and  the  next  day  her  dead  body  was  found  in  one 
of  those  dirty  lodging-houses  where  beggars  and  vagrants 
obtain  a  night's  shelter  for  a  small  remuneration.  Neither 
the  owner  of  the  lodging-house  nor  the  poor  wretch  who 
had  slept  beside  her  corpse,  knew  Delia  Brainless.  She 
was  taken  to  the  morgue,  where  she  remained  exposed  to 
the  public  gaze  for  three  days.  Her  identity  could  not  be 
established ;  nobody  could  give  to  the  police  any  informa- 
tion respecting  her ;  nobody  came  to  claim  that  body,  still 
so  beautiful  in  spite  of  a  life  of  such  depravity  4  and  hence 
it  was  carried  to  the  hospital  for  the  use  of  the  medical 
students,  the  very  day  Professor  Saunclers  commenced  his 
course  of  lectures  on  anatomy. 

"You  know  the  sequel." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

IN  WHICH  ASMODEUS,  AFTER  SPEAKING  OF  THE  WAY  MANY 
PEOPLE  LIVE  IN  NEW-YORK,  TAKES  THE  READER  TO  A 
PYTHONESS. 

SEE,"  said  I  to  Asmodeus,  "that  many 
miseries  of  the  Old  World  are  to  be  found  in 
the  New." 

"  No  doubt  of  it.  Did  I  not  tell  you,  when 
we  commenced  our  survey  of  the  morals  and  institutions 
of  this  country,  that  human  passions  are  about  the  same 
everywhere — whether  men  reside  near  the  tropics  or  the 
regions  of  perpetual  snows,  and  whatever  be  their  com- 
plexion ?  There  is  in  the  human  mind  a  disorderly  ele- 
ment which  the  best  institutions  are  powerless  to  eradicate. 
"  A  habit,  which  has  gone  far  to  corrupt  American 
morals,  is  that  adopted  by  many  families  of  living  in  a 
sort  of  community,  in  family  hotels — commonly  called 
boarding-houses — and  to  which  I  alluded  when  relating 
Doctor  Saunders's  history.  There  are  over  two  thousand 
such  houses  in  New- York — the  boarding  expenses  varying 
per  week  and  per  head  from  three  to  thirty  dollars.  Those 
which  ask  the  former  price  are  principally  patronized  by 
the  poortfr  working  classes :  there  the  agglomeration  of 
men  and  women,  from  all  parts  of  the  Union,  and,  I  might 


288  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

say,  from  the  world,  is  ill  calculated  to  make  of  them 
abodes  of  morality. 

"As  regards  boarding-houses  of  a  higher  class,  there  are 
a  few  where  family  habits  and  traditions  are  honored — and 
a  very  few  only.  In  all  of  these,  ladies,  free  from  house- 
hold affairs  and  cares,  spend  their  lives  in  leisure,  while 
their  husbands  attend  to  their  respective  businesses.  Idle- 
ness is  everywhere  an  ill-adviser.  Dressing  and  otherwise 
adorning  themselves  become  their  all-absorbing  occupation. 
Besides,  when  all  the  guests  of  the  house  sit  at  the  dining- 
table,  every  lady  is  anxious  to  look  well  before  the  board- 
ers, and,  of  course,  strives  to  outshine  her  neighbor. 
Again,  although  most  Americans  are  engaged  in  business, 
there  are,  nevertheless,  a  few  wealthy  enough  to  dispense 
with  labor,  that  restraint  upon  evil  passions.  Boarders  of 
the  latter  class  avail  themselves  of  their  leisure  hours  to 
keep  company  with  lone  ladies  ;  accompany  them  in  their 
walks,  and  shopping — that  fascinating  pastime  of  American 
women.  Then,  who  can  affirm  that  the  camel's-hair  shawl 
hanging  from  the  shoulders  of  a  fair  lady,  or  the  laces  and 
diamonds  which  adorn  another's  ball-dress,  are  not  so 
many  mortgages  upon  their  virtue  ?  I  am  ready  to  admit 
that  there  is  more  disinterestedness  in  American  politeness 
than  in  French  gallantry ;  still,  it  is  hard  to  believe  Ameri- 
cans spend  their  dollars  for  the  sake  of  politeness  only, 
and  through  a  sense  of  admiration  for  the  fair  sex. 

"  Not  every  American  married  lady,  living  in  a  boarding- 
house,  may  prove  a  good  mother  ;  and  it  may  be  doubted 
also  whether  every  husband  there  enjoys  the  happiness  of 
a  true  home.  Still,  the  difficulty  of  procuring  good  ser- 
vants ;  the  never-ceasing  exactions  of  the  latter,  their 
high  wages  ;  above  all,  the  bad  training  of  young  Ameri- 
can ladies,  which  makes  them  unable  to  manage  a  house 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  289 

after  being  married — all  these  reasons  compel  many  a  hus- 
band to  resort  to  boarding  life ;  and  when  ladies  once 
become  accustomed  to  rely  upon  others  in  household  af- 
fairs, it  is  seldom  that  they  can  be  prevailed  upon  after- 
ward to  keep  house. 

"  Servants  are  one  of  the  most  perplexing  difficulties  to 
American  families.  Banded  together  and  united  by  a  kind 
of  free-masonry,  these  helps  dictate  their  conditions  to 
those  who  require  their  services.  Are  they  without  em- 
ployment ?  They  receive  subsidies  from  mutual  societies. 
Very  few  become  attached  to  the  family  they  serve. 
Mobility  everywhere  exists  in  the  United  States — in  the 
institutions,  in  the  morals,  in  the  fortunes,  in  the  feelings 
of  the  people ;  and  servants,  of  course,  could  not  escape 
what  seems  so  general  a  law.  They  leave  their  situations 
on  the  slightest  pretext — sometimes  on  the  flimsiest  ex- 
pectation of  bettering  their  condition.  Some  American 
ladies,  to  retain  a  valuable  servant,  have  to  display  much 
forbearance  ;  and  forbearance  is  a  virtue  seldom  associated 
with  pride. 

"  Servant-girls  are,  for  the  most  part,  Irish-born  ;  few, 
very  few  American  women  condescend  to  serve  as  such. 
The  Irish  servants  show  little  sympathy  for  their  mistress- 
es, who,  in  their  turn,  exhibit  little  kindness  toward  them. 
It  has  even  been  noticed  that  a  latent  hostility  exists  be- 
tween female  servants  and  their  mistresses.  The  latter 
look  with  disgust  on  the  extravagant  taste  for  dress  dis- 
played by  Irish  girls  almost  immediately  on  their  landing ; 
and  this  is  a  detail  of  no  small  importance,  when  the  ques- 
tion of  domesticity  in  America  is  considered.  For  it  is 
obvious  that  the  more  the  servant's  dress  resembles  that 
of  her  mistress,  the  more  the  distance  which  ought  to 
separate  them  diminishes — at  least  in  the  opinion  of  the 


290  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

former.  Hence  the  silly  pretensions  to  equality,  and  the 
consequent  wranglings  and  difficulties  which  take  place 
between  mistress  and  servant. 

"  The  high  rents  and  increasing  cost  of  provisions  have 
lately  contributed  to  augment  the  number  of  boarding- 
houses.  An  American  who  receives  a  fixed  salary  from 
his  employers,  knows  the  amount  he  can  afford  to  spend 
for  the  support  of  himself  and  wife.  If  he  keeps  house,  he 
never  knows  where  his  expenses  may  lead  him.  As  I  have 
said  before,  there  are  about  two  thousand  boarding-houses 
in  New-York.  In  that  number  are  not  included  the  many 
hotels,  open  day  and  night  to  the  public,  and  where  live, 
during  the  winter  season,  many  American  families. 

"  If  the  necessity  to  be  constantly  moving  in  society  and 
among  strangers  has  developed  among  American  ladies  a 
taste  for  dress,  it  has,  on  the  other  hand,  trained  the  men 
to  decency  and  good  manners.  As  a  general  thing,  they 
are  well  appareled.  The  American  of  leisure  is  careful  to 
go  every  morning  to  a  barber,  and  have  his  beard  and 
hair  dressed.  In  every  large  hotel  there  is  a  regiment  of 
these  useful  practitioners,  of  black  or  white  complexion, 
and  one  can  hardly  go  from  one  street  to  another  without 
seeing  a  barber-shop,  or,  as  it  is  genteelly  termed  here,  a 
'  hair-dressing  saloon.' 

"  A  number  of  boarding-houses  are  kept  by  merchants' 
widows,  who  have  been  left  in  indigent  circumstances. 
Some  women,  aided  by  old  bachelors  or  other  persons, 
rent  houses,  and  furnish  and  open  them  to  boarders. 
Among  this  latter  class  of  boarding-houses,  not  a  few  are 
in  bad  repute.  In  these  one  can  rent  a  room  for  a  week, 
a  day,  even  an  hour,  for  the  purpose  of  receiving  par- 
amours ;  and  there,  elegant  prostitution  finds  a  secret  and 
mysterious  abode. 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  291 

"  How  many  women,  robed  in  gorgeous  silk  and  velvet 
dresses,  seen  every  hour  of  the  day  stepping  from  ferry- 
boats or  horse-cars,  could  be  traced  to  those  secret  abodes 
of  licentiousness  !  How  many  artless  girls  have  been  led 
to  take  the '  first  false  step'  in  these  gilded  dens  of  infamy ! 
Every  thing,  however,  is  carried  on  with  the  utmost  circum- 
spection ;  and  after  leaving  such  places,  the  lover  and  his 
mistress  will  meet  each  other  without  exchanging  the 
slightest  mark  of  acquaintance,  without  looking  at,  with- 
out speaking  with  each  other." 

Here  we  fbund  ourselves  in  front  of  a  brown-stone 
house,  conspicuous  by  an  elegant  flight  of  steps.  From  a 
sign  over  the  front-door,  this  magical  word, 

"  ASTROLOGY," 

glared  at  us,  and  green  shutters,  tightly  closed,  gave  the 
house  a  mysterious  appearance. 

"  Well,"  said  Asmodeus,  while  I  was  gazing  at  it ;  "  for 
one  dollar  apiece  we  can  enjoy  the  fun  of  seeing  at  work 
one  of  our  modern  augurs;  and  if  you  do  not  object, 
we  will  beg  the  Pythoness  who  presides  within,  to  exert 
her  remarkable  powers  of  divination  for  our  Lenefit." 

I  followed  my  sarcastic  companion  into  the  sibyl's  dwel- 
ling, and  we  were  shown  into  a  parlor  where  we  found 
several  old  and  young  men  waiting  for  the  oracle.  Asmo- 
deus informed  me  that  visitors  of  the  fair  sex  are  taken  to 
another  room,  as  also  persons  who  desire  to  escape  the 
gaze  of  others,  until  admitted  into  the  presence  of  the 
sorceress. 

A  liveried  servant,  the  same  who  had  opened  the  door 
for  us,  handed  us  a  ticket  marked  with  a  number,  for 
which  we  paid  two  dollars.  From  this  number,  we  in- 
ferred that  twenty  persons,  at  least,  had  preceded  us  in  the 


292  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

waiting-rooms  ;  and  I  was  afraid  many  hours  would  elapse 
before  we  could  hear  the  oracle  ;  but  Asmodeus  dismissed 
my  apprehension. 

"  The  interview,"  said  he,  "  the  sibyl  grants  any  visitor 
never  exceeds  five  minutes — a  rule  she  strictly  adheres 
to.  If  your  curiosity  is  not  satisfied  after  five  minutes' 
questioning  and  counter-questioning,  you  may  enjoy  five 
minutes  more  for  the  trifle  of  another  dollar.  But  in  no 
case  will  the  sibyl  allow  more  than  ten  minutes  ;  for  fear, 
perhaps,  of  exposing  herself  in  too  dangerous  a  manner, 
and  wasting  her  time  in  idle  controversies." 

I  had  time,  while  pacing  the  parlor,  to  survey  every 
nook  of  it.  It  was  plainly  furnished ;  on  the  mantelpiece 
was  a  clock  covered  with  various  cabalistic  ornaments,  and 
a  few  tawdry  paintings  were  hanging  on  the  walls. 

"  You  can  not  expect  to  find  masterpieces  in  America," 
said  Asmodeus,  interrupting  my  meditations ;  "  paintings 
from  masters  are  scarce  everywhere  ;  and  the  taste  of  the 
Americans  for  pictures  has  lately  so  much  increased,  they 
satisfy  it  with  any  painting  they  can  procure.  Many  per- 
sons believe  their  parlors  poorly  furnished  unless  their 
walls  are  hung  with  half  a  dozen  paintings.  Thousands 
are  yearly  imported  from  Belgium,  France,  and  Germany  ; 
and  they  all  sell  well — especially  those  whose  frames  are 
showy.  There  are,  perhaps,  two  or  three  galleries  in  the 
United  States  worth  observing ;  but  the  number  of  con- 
noisseurs is  very  limited,  in  spite  of  the  infatuation  for 
paintings  evinced  by  persons  rapidly  accumulating  wealth. 
Besides,  taste  and  an  unerring  appreciation  for  works  of 
art  are  derived  from  comparative  studies  of  different 
schools  of  art;  well-stocked  public  museums  only  can 
afford  adequate  facilities  for  them,  and  there  are  none  in 
the  United  States." 


Asmodeus  in  New -York,  293 

From  different  places  on  the  walls  hung  ebony  frames, 
ornamented  with  a  gilt  bead.  They  inclosed  a  show-card, 
elegantly  printed,  in  English,  French,  German,  and  Span- 
ish. I  copied  in  my  diary  the  intelligence  thus  conveyed 
to  the  world  by  the  priestess,  and  which  ran  as  follows  : 

"  Mrs.  SMART  reveals  most  important  secrets  to  persons 
of  both  sexes,  and  restores  peace  and  happiness  to  those 
in  despair,  in  consequence  of  loss  of  fortune,  or  the  death  of 
friends  or  relatives.  She  reunites  separated  lovers  ;  gives 
information  respecting  absent  persons,  and  also  property 
lost  or  stolen  :  indicates  the  profession  or  trade  visitors 
should  adopt  to  acquire  wealth  ;  brings  about  desirable 
marriages,  and  gives  the  name  and  prognosticates  the  cha- 
racter of  future  husbands  or  wives. 

"  From  her  knowledge  of  the  effects  and  different  aspects 
of  the  stars,  she  can  foretell  future  events  and  reveal  the 
whole  life,  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave." 

The  show-card  concluded  by  stating  that  persons  resi- 
ding abroad,  or  in  the  country,  could  obtain  the  astrolo- 
ger's advice,  by  sending  a  lock  of  hair,  date  of  birth,  a 
likeness,  and  one  dollar. 

I  had  just  copied  this  amusing  notice,  when  we  were 
notified  the  oracle  of  the  house  was  awaiting  us.  We  en- 
tered her  sanctum,  a  small  room,  lined  with  green  hangings. 
She  was  seated  in  a  gilded  chair,  and  in  front  of  her  was 
a  table,  whose  carved  legs  represented  Egyptian  sphinxes. 
As  far  as  I  could  judge,  through  the  dim  light  of  the  room, 
the  pythoness  was  a  tall  woman,  about  thirty  years  old, 
and  quite  good-looking.  She  was  robed  in  black  velvet ; 
and  through  the  open  sleeves  of  her  dress,  arms  as  white 
as  Parian  marble  could  be  discerned. 

"  This,  my  dear  sir,"  said  she,  approaching  Asmodeus, 
"  is  quite  a  surprise  from  you,  for  which  I  feel  deeply  thank- 


294  Asmodeus  in  New -York.   . 

ful.  But  why  did  you  not  send  me  your  name  ?  I  would 
have  spared  you  the  tediousness  of  waiting  one  hour. 
Yet  it  was  only  through  chance,  while  looking  through 
yonder  concealed  lutherns,  I  perceived  you  in  the  parlor 
among  the  others  there  waiting." 

"You  are  always  as  good  as  beautiful,"  gallantly  re- 
sponded Asmodeus  ;  "  but  we  live  in  a  land  where  equality 
reigns  supreme,  and  where  privileges  are  hardly  tolerated. 
We  would  have  patiently  waited  until  entitled,  by  our  ticket, 
to  be  ushered  into  your  presence." 

"  You  have  not  come,  I  suppose,  to  enjoy  my  performan- 
ces ?"  asked  the  pythoness  playfully.  "  I  can  not  teach  you, 
Mr.  Asmodeus,  concerning  future  events ;  but  if  you  felt 
inclined,  you  could  say  a  great  deal  about  them.  But, 
whatever  be  the  object  of  your  visit,  I  hope  it  will  be  a 
long  one,  for  my  day's  work  is  now  over." 

Then,  at  the  tap  of  a  bell,  a  servant  entered.  Handing 
him  a  bundle  of  bank-bills,  "  Give  back,"  said  she, 
"  this  money  to  the  persons  waiting,  unless  they  prefer  to 
keep  their  tickets  for  to-morrow.  I  am  tired  ;  and  I  feel," 
she  added,  looking  knowingly  at  Asmodeus,  "  I  am  no 
longer  under  the  influence  of  the  spirit." 

"  If,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  all  our  clairvoyants  and  astro- 
logers were  like  you,  they  would  compose,  I  apprehend, 
one  of  the  most  charming  and  dangerous  classes  of  so- 
ciety." 

"  Though  I  do  not  well  understand  what  you  mean,  I 
admit  they  form,  if  not  a  charming,  at  least  a  dangerous 
class.  To  levy  a  tribute  on  humah  credulity  is,  I  admit, 
going  far  ;  but  to  make  a  supposed  science  subservient  to 
men's  debauchery  and  woman's  frailty,  is,  most  assuredly, 
a  detestable  aggravation  of  the  evil.  You  know,  as  well 
as  I,  that  most  of  our  astrologers  are  but  intermediaries 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  295 

between  persons  of  both  sexes  in  quest  of  adventures,  and 
that  interviews  are  brought  about  in  the  houses  of  these 
fortune-tellers." 

"  And  why,  entertaining  such  an  opinion  of  your  pro- 
fession, did  you  enter  it?  Nay,  why  do  you  persist  in 
following  it  ?" 

"  For  an  explanation  of  that  mystery,  ask  those  actresses 
who  will  not  leave  the  stage  after  making  a  million  of 
dollars,  what  induces  them  to  cling  to  it.  Necessity  com- 
pels us  to  do  something ;  and  if  we  are  fortunate  enough 
to  please  the  public,  we  persist,  with  feelings  of  satisfaction, 
in  a  calling  at  first  reluctantly  adopted.  Besides,  I  have 
four  children  ;  and  I  mean  to  supply  them  with  an  educa- 
tion, and  leave  them  enough  money  to  enjoy  the  goods  of 
this  world.  Through  my  knowledge  of  human,  in  default 
of  celestial  affairs,  I  have  arrived  at  the  conviction,  though 
the  confession  is  somewhat  painful  to  womanly  dignity, 
that  money  is  equivalent  to  genius,  to  health,  to  honesty. 
For  with  money,  almost  eveiy  thing  may  be  procured. 
Then  my  children  shall  prosper,  if  they  live  ;  and  I  will 
continue  to  foretell  future  events  from  the  course  of  the 
stars,  unless  you  can  point  out  another  profession  which, 
with  so  little  trouble,  yields  as  much  money  as  mine." 

"  Is  it  really  a  profitable  one  ?"  I  asked  the  lady. 

"  You  are  the  friend  of  Mr.  Asmodeus,"  she  replied  ; 
"  I  have  therefore  nothing  to  conceal.  Every  sitting  lasts 
five  minutes.  When  a  visitor  enters  my  sanctum,  I  turn 
up  this  hour-glass.  As  soon  as  five  minutes  have  elapsed, 
I  dismiss  the  visitor,  and  another  is  admitted.  Not  to 
over-task  myself,  I  receive  but  eight  visitors  per  hour,  and 
deliver  oracles  during  only  six  hours  of  the  day.  To  the 
forty-eight  dollars  usually  gained  for  these  sittings,  add  an 
equal  sum  obtained  through  my  correspondence  ;  and  you 


296  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

will  know,  almost  as  well  as  myself,  the  daily  benefits 
derived  from  astrological  science." 

"  It  yields  you,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  an  income  quite  as 
large  as  that  of  the  President  of  the  United  States.  But, 
I  declare,  I  was  far  from  suspecting  the  correspondence 
netted  as  much  as  the  sittings." 

"  I  will  show  you  a  proof  of  it :  here  are  the  letters  re- 
ceived this  morning.  I  have  not,  as  yet,  unsealed  one  of 
them."  And  so  saying,  she  proceeded  to  open  them,  one 
after  another,  and  disclosed  to  our  view  a  large  quantity 
of  bank-bills. 

"You  can  not  imagine,"  she  went  on  to  say,  "  how  very 
busy  this  correspondence  constantly  keeps  me.  Two 
clerks  are  constantly  occupied  either  in  copying  my  an- 
swers, or  writing  letters  I  dictate.  A  sort  of  subtile  inti- 
macy springs  up  between  my  correspondents  and  myself ; 
and  you  would  be  much  surprised  were  I  to  reveal  the 
names  of  some  among  them.  You  would  recognize  states- 
men, bankers,  merchants,  officers  of  the  law,  even  minis- 
ters of  the  Gospel,  without  speaking  of  their  wives  and 
daughters.  How  many  confidences,  both  pleasing  and 
painful,  have  found  a  resting-place  in  those  boxes  piled  on 
the  top  of  that  bookcase !" 

I  asked,  rather  inadvertently,  to  what  causes  she  attrib- 
uted the  great  notoriety  she  enjoyed. 

"  To  newspaper  advertisements,"  she  replied.  "  Who- 
ever entertains  an  implicit  faith  in  the  influence  of  the  Press, 
and  is  able  and  willing  to  pay  handsomely  for  that  influence, 
will  reap,  soon  or  late,  large  profits  from  his  outlay.  Any 
adventurer  bold  enough  to  risk  a  fortune  for  the  purpose 
of  making  and  selling  ordinary  perfumes  or  remedies,  is 
sure  to  double,  or  even  treble,  that  fortune  in  a  short  time. 
Every  day  affords  an  instance  of  such  strokes  of  good  luck. 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  297 

For  my  part,  I  spend  twenty-five  dollars  per  day  for  adver- 
tising ;  and  you  have  seen  the  profitable  returns  of  such 
an  investment." 

"  You  well  know,"  interrupted  Asmodeus,  "  the  power 
of  that  great  agent  of  modern  times — Publicity.  It  is  the 
drop  of  water  that  makes  its  way  through  granite.  On 
reading  each  morning  that  Mrs.  Smart  can  foretell  every 
body's  life  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave,  every  body  decides 
to  test  the  astrologer's  skill.  But  I  apprehend,  in  spite  of 
your  attractive  conversation,  my  friend,  who  desired  to  see 
a  pythoness  on  her  tripod,  will  be  sorely  disappointed." 

"  God  forbid,"  replied  the  lady,  "  I  should  disappoint 
the  friend  of  a  man  I  consider  as  the  author  of  my  fortune." 
And  without  adding  another  word,  she  touched  a  bell, 
and  ordered  the  servant  who  answered  it  to  introduce  the 
first  visitor  who  should  call  into  her  sanctum. 

"  I  was  saying,  my  dear  sir,"  she  resumed,  "  that  I  am 
indebted  to  you  for  my  fortune.  In  fact,  a  suggestion  from 
you  instilled  into  me  the  idea  to  try  astrology  as  a  business 
— a  new  thing,  at  that  time,  in  the  United  States.  My  hus- 
band, Colonel  Smart,  died,  leaving  no  fortune  to  his 
family.  He  had  squandered  a  somewhat  considerable 
patrimony  in  a  very  singular  manner  —  by  purchasing 
patents.  One  of  those  boxes  you  see  on  my  bookcase  is 
full  of  those  patents,  obtained  from  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment, after  paying  a  few  dollars  into  the  public  treasury. 
Every  week  some  new  discovery  engrossed  the  Colonel's 
mind,  for  which,  of  course,  he  had  paid,  and  sometimes 
very  dearly.  One  day,  he  bought  a  patent  by  means  of 
which  rails  could  be  dispensed  with,  and  locomotives  run 
on  common  roads.  The  next  day,  he  had  secured  the 
means  to  use,  as  an  accessory  power,  the  engine's  smoke. 
At  one  time,  he  purchased  a  process  to  manage  balloons ; 


298  Asm&deus  in  New -York. 

at  another,  a  discovery  which  solved  the  problem  of  a  self- 
acting  propeller.  Finally,  when  he  discovered  he  had 
squandered  all  his  wealth  for  mere  chimeras,  grief  so 
preyed  upon  his  mind  that  he  soon  shortened  his  life  by  dis- 
sipation. You  were  among  those  of  his  friends  who  assisted 
at  his  funeral,  and  I  heard  you  lament  that  he  had  wasted 
his  talents  and  energy  in  scientific  researches,  in  preference 
to  embracing  some  quack  profession.  Tor,'  you  said, 
*  in  a  country  of  charlatans,  to  make  money,  one  must  be- 
come a  charlatan !' 

"  I  was  struck  with  that  observation — not  very  flattering, 
to  be  sure,  to  the  American  character ;  and  when  I  was 
obliged  to  seek,  by  my  own  labor,  a  means  of  subsist- 
ence for  myself  and  children,  I  was  involuntarily  reminded 
of  your  suggestion. 

"  I  had  studied,  and  felt  a  fondness  for,  the  science  which 
treats  of  the  laws  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  and  the  principles 
by  which  their  motions  are  regulated,  with  their  various 
phenomena.  The  term  astrology  was  used  by  the 
ancients  instead  of  the  modern  word  astronomy;  the 
etymology  of  both  is  the  same ;  and  up  to  the  time  of 
Galileo,  no  distinction  was  made  between  astronomy  pro- 
per and  that  science  which  attributed  to  the  heavenly 
bodies  a  ruling  influence  over  the  physical  and  moral 
world,  and  which  was  so  unfortunately  exploded  by  true 
philosophy.  Astrology  was  practiced  among  the  Romans  ; 
it  was  in  high  repute  at  the  court  of  Catherine  of  Medici, 
and  Alphonso  the  Wise,  King  of  Castile  and  Leon,  made 
himself  more  famous  by  his  astronomical  tablets  than  by 
his  code  of  laws.  Prophetic  power  has  been  in  vogue  at 
all  times  and  in  every  country,  and  is  sure  to  make  prose- 
lytes wherever  it  finds  a  foothold. 

"  With  these  notions,  and  persuaded  you  were  right  re- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  299 

specting  charlatanry  in  the  United  States,  I  boldly  commen- 
ced the  business  of  fortune-telling,  and  I  succeeded  beyond 
my  most  sanguine  expectations.  Now,  you  see,  Mr.  As- 
modeus, I  was  right  when  I  said  I  was  under  great  obli- 
gations to  you  for  your  suggestion." 

At  this  moment  the  hall-bell  rang,  and  the  servant  soon 
after  announced  that  a  visitor  was  waiting.  We  now 
entered  an  adjoining  closet,  from  which,  through  holes  in 
the  partition,  which  were  concealed  from  visitors,  every 
thing  transpiring  in  the  sanctum  could  be  seen. 

Mrs.  Smart  sat  in  the  gilded  arm-chair,  which  Asmode- 
us had  called  a  tripod ;  and,  at  a  given  signal,  the  visitor 
was  ushered  into  her  presence.  This  was  a  tall,  thin  lady, 
who  remained  closely  vailed,  until  the  priestess  bade  her 
reveal  her  face.  This  done,  Mrs.  Smart  attentively 
looked  at  the  lady,  whose  hands,  after  they  had,  at  her  re- 
quest, been  ungloved,  she  closely  examined. 

"  How  old  are  you  ?"  she  then  abruptly  inquired. 

"  Twenty-eight,"  answered  the  visitor. 

"I  want  to  know  your  real  age,"  rejoined  the  sibyl. 
"  Because  there  is  no  registration  of  births  in  the  United 
States,  women  pretend  to  remain  always  young ;  at  least,  they 
adopt  the  number  of  years  that  suits  their  fancy.  But  I 
will  show  you  that  those  who  consult  my  science  can 
never  succeed  in  deceiving  me :  you  are  forty-two  years 
old.  And  now,  what  do  you  require  of  me  !" 

"  I  desire  to  know  whether  the  man  I  love  will  marry 
me." 

"  You  love  nobody,"  sternly  responded  the  sorceress  ; 
"you  covet  the  fortune  of  the  man  you  want  to  marry,  and 
nothing  more.  But,  before  attempting  to  realize  your 
wish,  be  sure  the  husband  you  left  in  the  West  is  not  living, 
and  let  me  advise  you  to  find  a  less  dangerous  means  to 
pay  your  debts  than  the  marriage  you  have  in  view." 


300  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

So  saying,  the  pythoness,  with  a  dignified  wave  of  the 
hand,  dismissed  the  visitor,  whose  uneasiness  and  dismay 
were  apparent.  We  then  reentered  the  sanctum,  and  con- 
gratulated Mrs.  Smart  upon  the  soundness  and  morality 
of  her  advice. 

"  Chance  again  favored  me,"  she  answered.  "  I  instantly 
recognized  that  woman,  whose  cold,  studied  manner  and 
uneasy  glance  bode  no  good.  We  do  not  speak  with  the 
same  freedom  and  boldness  to  all  visitors,  unless  we  are 
fully  acquainted  with  some  peculiarities  or  circumstances 
concerning  them.  For  that  purpose,  we  keep  a  rather  ex- 
pensive staff  of  agents  in  the  principal  hotels  and  large 
boarding-houses  of  the  country.  Through  these  agents 
we  get  information  respecting  the  persons  who  are  induced 
to  visit  us,  and  thus  are  enabled  to  make  startling  revela- 
tions. Again,  through  those  holes  in  the  partition,  which 
are  invisible  to  callers,  and  yonder  reflecting  mirrors,  we 
can  leisurely  survey  visitors,  before  admitting  them  into 
our  presence,  while  confidential  agents,  always  in  waiting 
in  the  parlors,  induce  them  to  talk  of  their  feelings  and 
situation.  Then  those  agents  repair  to  the  sanctum, 
through  a  secret  passage,  and  impart  to  us  the  information 
they  have  thus  gathered.  By  this  means,  the  astrologer  is 
thoroughly  prepared  to  pronounce  her  oracles." 

We  laughed  heartily  at  this  candid  confession  of  the  ar- 
tifices which  compose  the  stock  in  trade  of  clairvoyants 
and  astrologers.  After  which  we  kindly  took  leave  of 
Mrs.  Smart,  very  much  pleased  with  our  visit. 

"I  was  far  from  thinking,"  said  Asmodeus,  when  we 
reached  the  street,  "that  the  business  of  those  impostors 
is  so  profitable — which  fact  shows  the  American  people's 
thirst  for  sensations.  I  was  aware  that  diviners  have  in 
every  society  exerted  much  influence  upon  the  ignorant 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  301 

classes.  But  a  4arge  part  of  the  wealthy  and  educated 
also,  if  we  are  to  believe  Mrs.  Smart,  apply  to  fortune- 
tellers to  unvail  the  future ;  and  idle  women,  principally,  are 
the  best  clients  of  those  swindlers,  with  which  New- York 
abounds.  In  some  European  countries  they  would  not  be 
tolerated.  Here,  grave,  learned  mem  do  not  mind  them  ; 
and  they  offer  ladies  an  opportunity  to  fritter  away  their 
time. 

"  The  evil,  after  all,  would  not  be  a  serious  one,  were 
not  most  of  the  sibyls,  as  confessed  by  Mrs.  Smart,  dan- 
gerous intermediaries,  encouraging  transactions  of  a  more 
reprehensible  character  than  their  fallacious  oracles." 

Asmodeus  was  here  interrupted  by  a  crowd  of  news- 
boys, howling  the  evening  papers.  Every  body  eagerly 
purchased  one,  as  the  excited  boys  shouted  that  an  awful 
calamity  had  taken  place.  We  purchased  a  copy,  and 
read  that  a  number  of  persons  had  perished  on  board  of 
one  of  the  steamers  plying  between  New-York  and  a 
neighboring  island.  That  steamer  had  met  another,  and 
both  had  concluded  to  run  a  race.  For  the  purpose  of  in- 
creasing her  rapidity,  the  firemen  of  one  of  the  boats  had 
poured  turpentine  into  her  furnaces ;  and  the  inflammable 
•liquid,  spreading  with  lightning-like  rapidity,  had  fired  the 
ill-fated  steamer.  A  number  of  persons  had  been  burned 
to  death,  and  others,  seeing  the  destruction  of  the  boat 
was  inevitable,  had  jumped  overboard,  and  sank  before 
assistance  could  be  procured. 

"  Here,"  coolly  remarked  Asmodeus,  after  perusing  the 
paper,  "  is  a  calamity  Mrs.  Smart  had  not  foreseen,  on 
looking  at  the  stars.  Out  of  the  four  children  she  had 
sent  to  breathe  the  fresh  sea-air,  two  have  been  drowned, 
and  the  remaining  two  have  been  so  dreadfully  burned 
their  life  is  despaired  of!" 


CHAPTER    XX. 

SHOWS   THE   WAY  TO   RECOVER   A  LOST  ARTICLE,   AND 
GIVES  A  PICKPOCKET'S  CONFESSION. 

j  HE  day  had  arrived  when,  according  to  Asmode- 
us's  prediction,  I  should  recover  my  stolen  watch. 
Precisely  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  that 
mysterious  personage  walked  into  my  room,  and  a 
few  minutes  after,  we  heard  a  knock  at  the  door,  when,  on 
saying  "  Come  in,"  a  young  man  entered,  whose  whiskers 
were  cut  after  the  latest  fashion,  and  whose  aristocratic 
demeanor  would  have  nowhere  passed  unobserved.  He 
was  by  no  means  deficient  in  self-possession — rather  one 
of  those  men  who  are  at  home  everywhere. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  he,  holding  up  a  newspaper,  "  it  was 
yesterday  my  good  fortune  to  read  an  advertisement  that 
pjaces  me  in  the  pleasant  situation  to  be  of  some  service 
to  you.  Circumstances  of  no  importance  whatever  to  any 
body  but  myself  have  put  in  my  possession  the  time- 
piece you  have  lost,  and  which  I  am  indeed  fortunate  to 
restore  to  you,  though  it  is  a  genuine  Breguet." 

So  saying,  he  pulled  my  watch  from  his  fob,  and  handed 
it  to  Asmodeus. 

"Here  is  a  fifty-dollar  bill,"  said  my  friend,  "  which 
would  be,  indeed,  an  insignificant  compensation  for  your 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  303 

trouble,  but  which  we  should  be  exceedingly  grateful  to 
have  you  present  to  the  person  who  found  the  article. 
Accept  personally,  sir,  our  thanks  for  your  gentlemanlike 
punctuality." 

So,  here  I  beheld  one  of  those  notorious  pickpockets, 
and  assisted  in  one  of  those  transactions  Asmodeus  re- 
presented as  an  advance  of  civilization.  This  pickpocket 
was  evidently  a  character  worth  studying,  and  Asmodeus, 
who  understood  the  curiosity  of  my  mind,  asked  him  how 
long  he  had  been  in  the  United  States.  "  For,"  he  added, 
"  you  speak  more  purely  than  many  Americans  by  birth. 
I  mean,  you  do  not  employ  any  of  the  slang  phrases  pe- 
culiar to  Americans.  Besides,  your  pronunciation  stamps 
you  as  a  son  of  Albion." 

"  You  are  right,  sir,"  answered  the  pickpocket.  "I  was 
born  in  Old  England,  the  land  of  large  fortunes  and  great 
miseries,  and  you  will  be  not  a  little  surprised  to  learn  I 
belong  to  one  of  the  most  ancient  families  of  the  United 
Kingdom — that  of  Earl  Stirling's,  of  Stirlingshire.  My 
childhood  was  spent  in  the  Sidlaw  mountains,  where  arise 
the  beautiful  rivers  Tay,  Clyde,  and  Forth.  My  father, 
Lord  James  Stirling,  died  a  few  years  ago,  leaving  as  usual, 
and  in  conformity  to  the  grant  made  to  his  ancestors,  all 
his  fortune  to  my  eldest  brother.  That  fortune  had  been 
reduced  by  Lord  Stirling's  extravagant  style  of  living,  and 
the  estate  bequeathed  my  brother  was  heavily  mortgaged. 
'  William,'  said  he,  on  our  return  from  our  father's  funeral, 
'  I  wish  you  to  thoroughly  understand  my  situation,  and 
here  it  is  in  a  few  words  :  Lord  Stirling's  income  amount- 
ed to  thirty  thousand  pounds.  But  he  regularly  spent 
double  that  amount,  as  he  resided  in  London  most  of  the 
time.  The  estate  is  mortgaged  for  three  hundred  thousand 
pounds,  and  I  have  just  signed  an  instrument  for  the  be- 


304  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

nefit  of  my  creditors,  in  consequence  of  which  all  mort- 
gages will  be  paid  after  twenty  years.  During  that  period, 
I  shall  be  compelled  to  live  on  an  income  of  ten  thousand 
pounds — hardly  sufficient  to  keep  a  dozen  horses  and  a 
pack  of  hounds.  So,  you  perceive,  the  Earl  of  Stirling 
will  fare  miserably  during  that  period  of  privation,  and  is 
sorry  to  say  he  can  do  nothing  to  help  you.  Consequently, 
you  will  do  well  to  try  your  fortune  in  any  part  of  the 
world  but  Scotland.  You  do  not  lack  talent,  and  can  not 
fail  to  succeed.' 

"  I  had  never  thought  of  the  laws  concerning  the  state 
or  privileges  of  the  first-born  amojig  children  —  laws  to 
which  Great  Britain  clings  with  so  much  tenacity.  My 
father  had  liberally  provided  for  my  expenses,  and,  since  I 
had  left  school,  I  had  resided  in  London,  in  a  style  adequate 
to  my  birth.  My  brother,  on  the  contrary,  had  mostly 
lived  at  home,  among  the  mountains.  He  belonged,  soul 
and  body,  to  our  ancestors'  domain.  And  I  know  him  well 
enough  to  be  convinced  he  would  sacrifice  every  thing,  with- 
out speaking  of  brotherly  affection,  to  liberate  the  patri- 
monial estate.  He  hardly  believed  himself  to  be  Earl  Stirl- 
ing, of  Stirlingshire,  when  it  recurred  to  his  mind  that  our 
father's  creditors  had  a  legal  lien  upon  those  farms  and 
forests  he  inherited.  Positive  I  could  expect  nothing  what- 
ever from  him,  I  started  for  London,  with  light  baggage, 
after  shaking  hands  with  the  new  Earl  of  Stirling. 

"  As  soon  as  I  arrived  in  that  great  commercial  metropo- 
lis of  the  world,  I  ordered  a  suit  of  mourning,  rented  a 
house  in  the  West  End,  which  I  handsomely  furnished, 
and  purchased  a  team  of  splendid  horses  and  several  car- 
riages. The  sons  of  noblemen  can  buy,  without  difficulty 
— of  course,  on  credit — any  thing  they  desire  from  trades- 
men, accustomed  from  generations  to  worship  the  aristo- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  305 

cracy.  And  besides,  in  this  particular  case,  that  interest- 
ing class  of  society  mistook  me  for  the  eldest  son  of  Lord 
Stirling,  my  brother  having  seldom  appeared  in  London. 
It  was  not  my  business  to  undeceive  them  ;  and  therefore, 
during  three  years,  I  led  a  very  pleasant  life,  borrowing 
money  from  my  father's  old  friends — even  from  shop-keep- 
ers—and sometimes  making  handsome  profits  at  the  gaming- 
table. 

"  A  misunderstanding  which  took  place  at  one  of  the 
fashionable  clubs  in  London,  between  one  of  the  queen's 
ministers  and  myself — one  evening  he  had  been  severely 
handled  in  the  Parliament — shut  me  out  of  the  houses  and 
clubs  I  frequented.  When  I  imparted  to  some  friends, 
living,  like  myself,  by  their  wits,  this  misunderstanding  at 
the  gaming-table,  with  a  cabinet  minister,  they  advised  me 
to  leave  London  at  once. 

" '  Lose  no  time,'  said  they,  '  to  put  the  Channel  between 
you  and  your  creditors.  Before  forty-eight  hours  are  elaps- 
ed, every  body  in  London  will  know  you  have  been  caught 
cheating  at  play.  People  w411  inquire  about  you  and  your 
family;  and  when  it  is  ascertained  that  you  are  Lord 
Stirling's  youngest  son,  and  consequently  not  worth  a  far- 
thing, your  creditors  will  become  infuriated  ;  and,  mind  you, 
the  debtors'  prison  is,  unfortunately,  still  frowning  in  White 
Cross  street.  Repair  as  soon  as  possible,  to  the  gay  capi- 
tal of  France." 

"  Their  advice  seemed  sound  enough ;  inasmuch  as  the 
amount  of  my  debts  was  a  great  deal  more  than  my  friends 
could  suspect.  They  tendered  me  a  few  sovereigns,  which 
I  accepted  ;  and,  hastening  to  borrow  whatever  I  could 
from  my  father's  old  friends,  my  tailor,  and  a  few  other 
shop-keepers — to  sell  to  some  Jews  my  horses  and  car- 
riages, and  also  my  house-furniture,  on  condition  they 


306  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

should  remove  nothing  till  twenty-four  hours  after  my  de- 
parture, I  left  the  field  of  my  first  exploits. 

"  In  Paris,  I  soon  realized  that  the  manners  and  cus- 
toms of  the  French  are  entirely  opposite'  to  those  of  their 
neighbors  across  the  Channel.  The  police  are  everywhere, 
and  a  freeman  feels  somewhat  uneasy  in  moving  about  the 
city.  Some  of  my  countrymen  who  had  also  thought  it 
advisable  to  wait  in  France  for  the  cooling  of  their  credi- 
tors' wrath,  introduced  me  into  some  gaming-houses.  One 
of  the  gamblers  who  frequented  these  houses  was  such  a 
suspicious-looking  individual  that  we  could  not  drive  from 
our  minds  the  thought  that  he  was  a  detective.  While  in 
London  I  had  frequently  visited  James  Stealer's  well-known 
institution,  and  tried  my  skill  among,  and  in  competition 
with,  his  many  pupils.  Numerous  manikins,  dressed  in  every 
conceivable  manner,  are  scattered  though  a  spacious  hall ; 
and  there  James  Stealer,  with  his  white  neck-tie,  his  rosy 
cheeks,  and  oily  manner — in  short,  looking  like  a  Cambridge 
professor  or  an  Episcopalian  minister — may  be  seen  walk- 
ing to  and  fro,  and  teaching  young  boys  to  abstract  from 
those  manikins  any  article  he  may  point  out — which  article 
the  boys  must  obtain  without  moving  the  other  figure's — 
without  giving  the  bystanders  a  chance  to  notice  the  re- 
moval. And  they  perform  the  task  while  walking,  running, 
tumbling — in  fact,  in  every  imaginable  position. 

"  After  a  few  weeks,  perhaps  a  few  months,  devoted  to 
such  performances,  the  boys  acquire  a  really  wonderful  pro- 
ficiency in  the  art  of  relieving  the  manikins  of  numerous 
articles  such  as  cloaks,  umbrellas,  watches,  but  principally 
portemonnaies.  When  thoroughly  proficient,  Stealer  lets 
loose  his  pupils  upon  the  world,  and  allows  them  to  prac- 
tice the  science  in  which  they  have  graduated,  on  the  deni- 
zens of  the  goodly  city  of  London.  By  this  means,  in  spite 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  307 

of  many  losses  from  the  interference  of  the  police,  the  ranks 
of  the  pickpocket  army  are  always  full. 

"  Stealer  had  time  and  again  congratulated  me  upon  my 
proficiency  in  sleight-of-hand,  and  even  offered  me  a  diplo- 
ma as  graduate  of  the  institution  he  had  managed,  for 
many  years,  with  an  incomparable  efficiency.  But  though 
exceedingly  flattered  at  this  acknowledgment  of  my  skill, 
the  son  of  Lord  Stirling  had  declined  the  proffered  honor. 
I  remembered  the  teachings  of  that  excellent  man,  and 
decided  to  make  use  of  them,  after  exhausting,  in  Paris, 
the  liberality  of  her  most  gracious  majesty  the  queen's 
ambassador,  his  secretaries,  and  even  his  servants.  Every 
thing  *went  on  smoothly  and  satisfactorily  for  several 
months ;  though  I  could  not  help  observing  that  the 
French  are  a  parsimonious,  cautious  people.  For  in- 
stance, they  keep  their  portemonnaies  in  a  secret  pocket, 
and  those  portemonnaies  themselves  generally  contain  very 
little.  And,  as  a  climax  to  their  meanness,  a  double  chain 
secures  their  watches  to  the  bottom  of  their  fobs  !  Such 
a  ridiculous  and  antiquated  habit  nearly  involved  me,  one 
day,  in  serious  trouble,  from  which  I  was  rescued  through 
national  pride.  When  they  were  apprised  of  my  mishap 
and  consequent  imprisonment,  her  most  gracious  majesty 
the  queen's  ambassador,  his  secretaries  and  servants, 
asked  for  my  release,  pretending  I  was  mentally  deranged. 
The  police,  for  fear  of  weakening  the  alliance  between  the 
two  countries,  set  me  free,  on  condition  that  I  should  leave 
France  within  twenty-four  hours.  I  assented  to  the  pro- 
position, inasmuch  as  I  had  nothing  more  to  do  there  ; 
and,  as  it  was  not  yet  quite  safe  for  me  to  return  to  the 
land  of  my  birth,  I  sailed  for  the  United  States. 

"  I  have  resided  here  several  years,  and  hardly  a  day 
passes  that  I  do  not  congratulate  myself  on  having  become 


308  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

a  citizen  of  the  great  Republic.  What  a  delightful  coun- 
try, gentlemen  !  How  tolerant  the  people  !  With  a  little 
ingenuity  and  expertness,  what  an  easy  life  every  one  may 
enjoy !  On  reaching  this  highly  favored  land,  one  feels 
he  is  really  free.  Name  me  another  country  where  busi- 
ness is  conducted  on  such  loose  and  careless  principles  ? 
Look  at  the  merchants  and  bankers  !  Why,  gentlemen, 
they  trust  to  the  care  of  small  boys  bags  of  gold,  and  tin 
boxes  containing  millions  of  dollars!  From  my  particu- 
lar stand-point,  this  state  of  things  is  highly  gratifying,  and 
far  be  it  from  me  to  object  to  it.  Again,  in  no  other  coun- 
try can  one  meet,  at  every  step,  at  every  hour,  day  and 
night,  so  many  ladies  whose  dresses  and  jewels  in  them- 
selves represent  a  fortune ;  and  I  dare  say  many  a  man 
has  been  tempted  to  run  away  with  one  of  those  fair  crea- 
tures, if  only  for  the  sake  of  possessing  himself  of  the 
treasures  she  carries  about  her.  Then,  every  body  in  the 
United  States — man,  woman,  girl,  and  boy— must  have  a 
time-piece,  inclosed,  if  you  please,  in  a  case  a  great  deal 
more  substantial  than  those  used  in  Europe.  Among  many 
other  oddities,  the  American  people  are  conspicuous  for 
their  want  of  being  posted  on  time.  To  satisfy  an  extra- 
ordinary demand  for  watches,  steam  is  now  applied  to  their 
manufacture  ;  and  watch-making  by  steam  machinery  is  in 
a  fair  way  to  soon  deprive  Switzerland  of  her  monopoly  of 
selling  cheap  chronometers  to  the  world. 

"  You  understand,  gentlemen — and  the  fact  is  so  plain 
I  need  not  insist  upon  it — that  the  general  habit  of  wearing 
watches  and  jewels  makes  of  the  United  States  a  really 
attractive  country  for  the  light-fingered  gentry — a  'prom- 
ised land  '  for  rogues  and  pickpockets.  So  absorbed  are" 
the  people  in  mercantile  transactions,  that  the  business  I 
devote  to  my  leisure  hours  is  alike  profitable  and  pleasant. 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  309 

Though  operating  with  the  utmost  confidence,  I  have  re- 
cently determined  to  give  a  part  of  my  proceeds  to  car- 
conductors  and  a  few  police-officers.  But  for  the  aid  of 
these  associates,  something  might  sometimes  happen  to 
baffle  my  skill  and  experience  ;  and  you  will  concede  it  is 
good  policy  to  avoid  all  unpleasantness  by  giving  away  a 
part  of  my  profits." 

With  these  words,  the  son  of  Lord  Stirling,  of  Stirling- 
shire, after  bowing  in  the  most  exquisite  manner,  and  retain- 
ing to  the  last  an  incomparable  suavity,  left  my  room. 

"  That  fellow,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  is  certainly  one  of  the 
most  impudent  rogues  I  ever  saw.  His  photograph  ought 
to  be  placed  in  the  pickpockets'  gallery.  But  only  those 
of  poor  unfortunate  devils  are  to  be  found  there,  I  am 
told  ;  and  one  vainly  seeks  for  the  likeness  of  many  an 
elegant  scamp  who  moves  in  the  best  society.  The  love 
of  luxury,  the  loose  way  of  transacting  business,  want  of 
vigilance  from  policemen,  excessive  indulgence  from  courts 
of  justice — every  thing  favors  the  pickpocket's  business, 
as  boldly  admitted  by  that  pretended  son  of  an  English 
nobleman.  But  it  is  not  always,  and  in  every  case,  carried 
on  safely — even  though  it  be  true  that  some  bad  members 
of  the  police  force  connive  with  the  light-fingered  gentry. 

"  A  few  weeks  ago,  I  joined  a  picnic-party ;  a  steamer 
had  been  chartered  and  a  band  engaged  for  the  occasion. 
In  spite  of  all  precautions,  a  few  pickpockets  will  sneak 
in  among  excursionists ;  and  such  was  the  case  with  us,  as 
you  will  see. 

"  While  our  boat  was  steaming  up  the  river,  I  had  a 
fancy  to  make  a  running  knot,  that  I  dropped  into  the 
pocket  in  which  my  money  was  deposited.  Young  girls 
and  their  partners  were  dancing  on  the  deck,  to  the  melo- 
dious strains  of  our  band  ;  and,  mingling  with  the  excur- 


3IO  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

sionists,  I  soon  became  quite  interested  in  the  meriy  scene, 
Suddenly,  I  felt  that  something  suspicious  was  going  on  in 
my  pocket,  and  at  once  rapidly  drew  up  the  running  knot, 
the  end  of  which  I  was  thoughtlessly  holding  in  my  hand. 
To  my  utter  surprise,  a  pickpocket's  fingers  were  caught 
as  in  a  vice.  He  tried  to  move  me  by  his  doleful  suppli- 
cations. '  Let  me  off,'  said  he  in  a  whisper,  fearing  the 
bystanders  might  hear  him,  at  the  same  time  carefully 
walking  beside  me,  while  I  paced  the  deck.  '  It  is  my 
very  first  offense,  and  it  shall  be  my  last,  I  promise  upon 
my  soul.'  When  I  judged  he  had  been  sufficiently  pun- 
ished, I  loosened  my  knot,  and  the  pickpocket  walked 
away.  That  incident  had  disappeared  from  my  mind 
through  the  diversions  of  the  day;  though  afterward  I 
could  not  help  laughing  heartily,  on  recalling  the  man's 
piteous  voice  as  he  begged  for  mercy  while  slowly  pacing 
the  deck  beside  me.  • 

"  Evening  approached,  and,  the  festivities  over,  our  boat 
put  off  on  her  return  to  New- York.  While  admiring  the 
effulgent  light  of  the  setting  sun  upon  the  surrounding 
scenery,  a  disturbance  at  the  fore  part  of  the  boat,  and 
screams  from  ladies,  attracted  my  attention.  The  same 
fellow  who  had  vainly  tried  to  pick  my  pocket  in  the 
morning,  had  just  been  caught  in  the  very  act  of  stealing 
a  lady's  portemonnaie.  '  Overboard  with  the  pickpocket ! 
Overboard  with  the  pickpocket !'  exclaimed  a  number  of 
excited  voices.  And  in  spite  of  women's  prayers  to  spare 
his  life,  and  the  desperate  resistance  of  the  unfortunate  man, 
he  was  thrown  into  the  river,  and  consigned  to  a  watery 
grave !" 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

CONTAINS  A  BARBER'S  AUTHENTIC  HISTORY,  WHICH  EX- 
HIBITS SOME  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  AN  OBSOLETE  INSTI- 
TUTION. 

E  went  out  for  the  purpose  of  assisting  at  the 
close  of  the  criminal  case,  an  incident  of  which 
we  had  witnessed  a  few  days  previous.  The 
girl,  accused  of  having  killed  her  mistress  was 
to  be  sentenced  on  that  day,  as  one  of  the  prison-keepers 
had  informed  us.  While  on  our  way  to  the  court-house, 
Asmodeus  stopped  at  a  barber's  shop. 

"  After  residing  a  few  years  in  any  country,"  said  he, 
"  foreigners  begin  to  ape  the  natives  ;  so  I  get  my  hair 
dressed  every  morning,  as  most  Americans  do.  In  case  I 
am  detained  too  long,  you  may  prevail  upon  the  proprie- 
tor— a  mulatto,  whiter  than  many  Spaniards — to  tell  you 
his  history.  It  is  a  very  interesting  one  ;  besides,  it  is 
replete  with  useful  information  concerning  an  institution 
now  extinct,  but  which  has  left  vivid  impressions  upon  the 
country." 

We  entered  the  barber's  shop.  It  was  the  first  time  I 
had  seen  an  establishment  of  this  kind,  and  I  was  struck 
with  its  size  and  importance.  We  found  ourselves  in  a 
spacious  hall,  crowded  with  people,  whose  wants  —  hair- 
dressing  and  shaving — were  attended  to  by  fifty  waiters. 


312  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

Order  and  regularity  prevailed  ;  every  new-comer  received 
a  ticket,  and  patiently  awaited  his  time.  Though  barbers 
have  been  charged  with  loquacity,  I  declare  they  gave  no 
sign  here  of  that  peculiar  attribute  of  their  class. 

Asmodeus  introduced  me  to  the  owner  of  the  hair-dress- 
ing saloon,  who,  as  soon  as  he  was  informed  of  my  desire 
to  know  his  history,  gratified  it  in  the  following  manner : 


ALBERT'S  HISTORY. 

"  I  am  a  Southern  State  governor's  son.  The  governor 
owned  a  large  plantation  on  the  banks  of  the  Savannah ; 
and  among  his  female  slaves  was  one  noted  for  her  beauty. 
He  noticed  her  growing  charms,  and  soon  set  her  free. 
She  became  his  mistress,  and — my  mother.  Such  was  the 
manner  with  most  planters  of  doing  business.  Their 
legitimate  wives  felt  no  concern  regarding  the  intercourse 
of  their  lords  with  female  slaves.  It  was  a  means  of  in- 
creasing the  family's  wealth ;  and  besides,  negroes  being 
considered  as  only  chattels,  the  favors  enjoyed  by  a  negro 
girl  at  the  hands  of  a  planter  had  no  more  importance,  in 
the  opinion  of  the  legitimate  wife,  than  the  attentions 
shown  by  her  husband  to  a  handsome  horse.  ' 

"  The  large  number  of  mulattoes  one  meets  throughout 
the  Southern  States  affords  convincing  proof  that  the 
practice  to  which  I  am  indebted  for  my  birth  was  exten- 
sively carried  on.  Though  my  mother  was  free,  the  chil- 
dren she  gave  birth  to — two  girls  and  myself — remained 
in  slavery.  After  she  had  been  liberated,  a  law  was  en- 
acted which  forbade  the  freeing  of  negroes,  unless  they 
were  removed  from  the  State.  To  obey  the  law  and  secure 
our  services,  our  father  kept  us  in  slavery. 


Asmodens  in  New -York.  313 

"  We  grew  up,  mingled  with  the  colored  children  of  the 
plantation  and  also  those  of  the  planter.  From  the  for- 
mer, only  light  services  were  exacted,  such  as  fanning  the 
ladies,  or  taking  the  cattle  to  the  fields.  The  latter  grew 
up  in  laziness.  Learning  to  read  and  write  was  out  of  the 
question.  In  the  first  place,  there  was  no  school  in  the 
neighborhood  ;  the  nearest  one  being  thirty  miles  off ;  and, 
besides  only  the  children  of  white  people  were  admitted  to 
the  few  schools  then  existing  in  the  South.  The  law  pro- 
hibited the  teaching  of  reading  and  writing  to  negroes ; 
and  though  I  was  the  son  of  a  white  man,  I  was  neverthe- 
less involved  in  that  intellectual  ostracism. 

"  I  was  my  mother's  youngest  child.  When  my  sisters 
were  about  sixteen,  they  were  given  away  by  the  planter  to 
his  daughters,  when  the  latter  married.  They  thus  became 
the  slaves  of  their  own  sisters. 

"  About  that  time,  my  father  began  to  exhibit  a  great 
liking  for  me.  Through  a  freak  of  nature,  it  was  noticed 
I  had  very  little  black  blood  in  my  veins ;  and  I  was  said 
to  resemble  my  father  very  much.  He  had  no  son  by  his 
legitimate  wife  ;  and  so,  in  every  circumstance,  he  gave  me 
proof  of  his  regard  and  kindly  feelings.  When  his  wife 
died,  those  feelings  seemed  to  increase.  He  allowed  me  to 
sleep  in  his  own  room,  and  to  go  with  him  everywhere. 

"  Besides  keeping  him  company,  I  was  charged  with 
many  important  transactions,  and  also  with  overseeing  the 
slaves  of  the  plantation.  Neither  was  I  ever  in  want  of 
money ;  and  though  a  slave  legally,  in  reality  I  was  in 
possession  of  my  freedom. 

"  My  father  was  addicted  to  that  terrible  vice,  gamb- 
ling ;  and,  as  I  seldom  left  him.  I  noticed  that  fortune 
was  not  often  in  his  favor.  I  had  soon  a  sad  proof  of 
this  fact. 


314  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

11  We  had  gone  to  New-Orleans,  for  the  purpose  of  sell- 
ing our  cotton  crop  ;  and,  once  there,  my  father  spent  day 
and  night  at  the  gaming-table  with  other  planters  and 
cotton-dealers.  One  evening,  he  came  home,  visibly  de- 
pressed. 

"  '  I  am  severely  punished,'  said  lie,  '  for  an  evil  passion. 
I  have  lost  at  the  gaming-table  our  entire  cotton  crop  ; 
and,  besides,'  he  added,  in  a  sorrowful  tone,  'been  obliged 
to  pledge  you  in  order  to  secure  the  payment  of  my  debt. 
To-morrow  morning,  a  planter  will  take  you  away  ;  and 
you -will  belong  to  him  until  I  can  pay  the  one  thousand 
dollars  I  owe  him.  He  has  promised  to  treat  you  kindly. 
I  hope  you  will  not  have  to  stay  long  with  him.  As  soon 
as  I  reach  the  plantation,  I  will  raise  the  money  necessary 
for  your  liberation,  and  will  return  myself  to  take  you 
away." 

"  I  could  hardly  sleep  that  night.  The  planter  alluded 
to  came  for  me  early  in  the  morning,  and  I  was  soon  sepa~ 
rated  from  my  father,  who  could  not  help  shedding  tears 
as  he  embraced  me.  I  never  saw  him  again. 

"  My  new  master  was  a  man  about  forty-five  years  old — 
good-natured  and  kind  to  every  body.  He  assured  me  I 
would  have  no  time  to  get  weary  on  his  plantation,  and 
advised  me  to  do  my  best  to  please  his  two  sons.  We  left 
New-Orleans  the  next  day,  and  in  the  evening  reached  my 
new  master's  home — situated  about  sixty  miles  from  that 
city. 

"  He  had  not  deceived  me  when  he  said  I  would  have 
no  time  to  be  weary.  As  soon  as  we  arrived,  and  after 
being  informed  of  the  rules  of  the  plantation,  I  was  sent  to 
the  fields  with  the  other  negroes.  At  the  dawn  of  day, 
one  of  the  planter's  sons  blew  a  horn,  to  wake  up  the  slaves  ; 
within  twenty  minutes  they  had  to  dress  themselves,  harness 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  315 

their  mules,  and  go  to  work  in  the  fields.  At  nine  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  children  brought  us  our  breakfast,  which 
had  to  be  over  within  ten  minutes.  At  noon,  the  horn 
again  was  sounded,  which  was  the  signal  to  repair  to  our 
cabins.  There  we  partook  of  a  meal  invariably  composed 
of  corn-bread,  bacon,  and  a  little  molasses.  At  one  o'clock, 
we  returned  to  the  fields,  and  worked  until  sunset.  Two 
sons  of  our  master,  the  oldest  of  six  children — strong,  tall 
young  men,  about  twenty  and  twenty-two  years  of  age  re- 
spectively— were  incessantly,  with  whip  in  hand,  watching 
the  negroes  at  work  ;  and  their  whips  unerringly  fell  upon 
the  shoulders  of  any  one,  either  man  or  woman,  who,  over- 
come with  fatigue,  happened  to  cease  work  for  a  moment 
to  take  rest 

"From  what  I  saw  and  heard  concerning  the  neigh- 
boring plantations,  I  soon  perceived  that  negroes  were 
generally  ill-treated — dealing  kindly  with  them,  as  at  my 
father's  farm,  being  the  exception.  I  must  say,  however, 
my  master's  sons  never  ill-treated  me  ;  because,  doing  as 
much  as  I  could,  I  never  gave  occasion  to  incur  their  re- 
sentment ;  and  also  because  they  had  been  commanded  by 
their  father  to  treat  me  well,  as  I  was  not  yet  their  sole 
property.  As  it  was  probable  my  father  would  soon  come 
for  me,  it  was  perhaps  thought  best  I  should  be  favorably 
impressed  with  my  temporary  masters.  Men  do  not  dis- 
dain the  opinion  of  others,  whether  the  latter  are  free  or 
in  bondage,  white  or  black. 

"Notwithstanding  this  passable  treatment  of  me,  my 
desire  to  be  released  from  these  strangers  was  increasing 
every  day.  The  planter's  oldest  sons,  who  had  charge  of 
the  plantation,  as  I  have  said,  were  rude  and  violent,  and 
could  hardly  control  themselves,  when  their  father  was  ab- 
sent, which  was  often  the  case. 


316  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

"  Negroes  have  been  often  reproached  with  licentious- 
ness ;  but  when  slavery  was  in  existence,  that  very  licentious- 
ness was  taught  them  and  encouraged  by  the  whites  them- 
selves. Marriages  were  not  solemnized  among  negroes  ;  as 
that  would  have  weakened  the  planter's  power  over  his 
slaves,  and  prevented  the  separation  of  husband  from  wife, 
of  mother  from  children.  Such  separations  were  of  fre- 
quent occurrence,  children  being  the  object  of  a  bris£ 
traffic.  When  either  of  my  young  masters  took  a  fancy  to 
a  likely  negress,  he  whispered  in  her  ear  some  imperative 
command,  and  the  slave  had  to  obey,  no  matter  whether 
she  loved  any  negro  or  was  connected  with  him  by  one  of 
those  temporary  bonds  tolerated  by  planters  ;  and  in  case 
any  negro  exhibited  resentment,  his  fate  was-  sealed — he 
was  immediately  sold  to  some  trader. 

"  One  day,  one  of  those  negro-traders  came  to  the  plan- 
tation with  a  gang  of  unfortunates,  of  both  sexes.  Among 
these  was  a  young  girl,  as  black  as  ebony,  yet  really  beau- 
tiful. She  attracted  the  attention  of  the  planter's  eldest 
son ;  and,  after  a  few  words  with  the  trader  concerning 
her  price,  he  purchased  her.  The  fate  that  was  in  store 
for  her  was  a  mystery  to  nobody ;  and  she  had  been  the 
favorite  slave  of  the  planter's  eldest  son  for  some  weeks, 
when  a  horseman,  accompanied  by  the  county  sheriff, 
stopped,  one  morning,  at  the  planter's  house.  He  claimed 
the  negro  girl  as  his  own ;  and  I  then  learned,  for  the 
first  time,  that  the  slave-trade  gave  birth  to  many  frauds 
and  frightful  crimes.  Negro-stealing  was  practiced  in  every 
Southern  State,  extending  even  to  the  free  ones.  In  the 
latter,  white ;  in  the  former,  mulatto  or  black  children  were 
frequently  abducted,  during  the  night,  and  borne  away  to 
remote  places,  to  be  sold  when  the  robbers  believed  they 
could  without  danger  get  rid  of  their  plunder.  Certifi- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  317 

cates  of  ownership,  skillfully  forged,  facilitated  these  frauds 
— all  the  more  easily  perpetrated  because  the  Southerners 
were,  in  general,  people  of  scanty  education  ;  and  though 
numbers  of  traders  had  been  hung  for  negro-stealing,  such 
were  the  profits  of  the  business  that  it  greatly  flourished  in 
most  Southern  States. 

"  The  sheriff  acquainted  my  young  master  with  his  er- 
rand, and  exhibited  documents  showing  beyond  doubt  that 
the  young  girl  had  been  stolen  from  her  lawful  owner,  the 
horseman,  who  had  secured  the  officer's  services.  My 
master's  son  suggesting  that  some  mistake  concerning  the 
stolen  negro  girl  might  be  possible,  all  the  plantation 
slaves,  at  the  sheriff's  request,  were  assembled  in  front 
of  the  house.  The  horseman  at  once,  and  without  hesi- 
tation, pointed  out,  among  the  group,  the  young  girl  he 
claimed ;  and  she  herself  seemed  quite  glad  in  recogniz- 
ing her  former  master.  The  latter  was  on  the  point  of 
taking  her  away,  when  the  planter's  son  offered  to  buy 
again  the  handsome  slave.  I  did  not  hear  the  horse- 
man's answer.  But,  anyhow,  high  words  were  soon  ex- 
changed between  him  and  my  master's  son.  Each  had  a 
rifle  in  his  hand.  We  saw  them  go  to  a  field  near  by,  and 
coolly  measure  a  short  distance.  Then  we  heard  the  sim- 
ultaneous report  of  their  rifles,  and  saw  the  planter's  son 
fall  dead  to  the  ground. 

"  A  few  days  after,  my  master,  who  had  been  several 
weeks  absent,  returned;  and  his  grief  was  intense  on 
learning  the  sad  event  that  had  deprived  him  of  a  beloved 
son.  From  that  day  he  took  to  drink,  and  soon  the  plan- 
tation became  a  hot  place  for  the  negroes. . 

"  My  master's  disposition  now  completely  changed.  He 
was  ever  angry,  and  became  as  cruel  as  before  he  was 
gentle  and  kind-hearted.  For  the  most  insignificant  mis- 


318  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

take  or  fault,  he  unmercifully  flogged  his  slaves — men, 
women,  and  children.  The  strict  but  humane  rules  which 
existed  previously  were  replaced  by  the  most  rigorous 
measures.  But,  at  the  same  time,  the  negroes  resorted  to 
such  retaliations  as  to  convince  the  planter  he  was  rushing 
on  to  his  own  ruin.  Those  retaliations  were  conducted 
with  a  method  and  skill  which  I  could  not  understand  till 
a  long  time  had  elapsed. 

"One  day  the  best  milch  cows  disappeared,  and  all 
search  for  them  proved  fruitless,  though  the  negroes,  sent 
miles  around,  seemed  to  take  especial  pains  in  endeavor- 
ing to  find  them.  A  week  after,  a  swarm  of  buzzards, 
flying  over  an  adjacent  wood,  was  noticed  by  the  planter 
to  settle  in  a  particular  spot.  He  went  to  the  wood,  and 
there  found  all  that  remained  of  the  cows,  which  undoubt- 
edly had  been  poisoned,  and  with  which  the  buzzards  were 
now  gorging  themselves. 

"  From  that  time  the  negro  cabins  were  strictly  watched 
by  the  planter  and  his  second  son.  Both  of  them  locked 
us  in  every  day  at  sunset,  and  several  times  during  the 
night  they  stealthily  entered  the  cabins  to  ascertain  whether 
their  inmates  were  sleeping.  But  in  spite  of  all  precau- 
tions, the  negroes  carried  on  their  revengeful  work  in  a 
sure  and  determined  manner. 

"  One  morning,  while  we  were  picking  cotton,  we  heard 
the  planter  and  his  son  shouting  and  swearing  with  great 
vehemence,  as  in  a  fit  of  rage.  We  soon  learned  the  cause. 
The  corn  was  then  half  grown ;  and  in  a  field  near  by, 
all  the  stalks,  as  by  enchantment,  had  been  nearly  cut 
through,  about  two  feet  from  their  roots.  The  crop  was 
evidently  ruined.  In  dismay,  the  planter  sent  a  dozen 
negroes  to  other  fields,  to  ascertain  whether  the  corn  there 
had  been  also  damaged.  They  soon  reported  it  as  injured 


Asmodcus  in  Neiv-Vork.  319 

in  the  same  manner,  a  few  whole  stalks  only  standing  up. 
Completely  overpowered  by  this  new  disaster,  the  planter 
tried  every  means  in  his  power,  employing  threats  as  well 
as  entreaties,  to  discover  its  authors.  The  negroes  con- 
tended they  could  give  no  information  respecting  this  out- 
rage, as  they  were  locked  up  every  night  in  their  cabins. 
Some  even  gave  vent  to  much  indignation,  and  threatened 
the  evil-doers  who  had  so  utterly  ruined  the  prospects  of  a 
promising  crop.  But  the  planter  was  not  deceived  by  this 
feigned  indignation  of  his  slaves,  and  their  pretended  igno~ 
ranee  of  the  authors  of  this  mischief. 

"  '  They  did  it,'  he  said  to  me  in  the  evening,  while  giving 
me  an  insignificant  order.  '  I  know  I  live  among  enemies 
with  whom  I  can  never  become  reconciled.  This  is  the 
fate  of  all  white  people  in  the  Southern  States — the  result 
of  a  cursed  institution  we  can  not  get  rid  of.  And  now  that 
I  have  opened  to  you  my  heart,  I  shall  depend  upon  you  to 
help  me  in  tracing  and  finding  out  the  plotters  who  aim  at 
my  ruin.  You  have  very  little  black  blood  in  your  veins, 
and  you  ought  to  serve  the  interests  of  the  whites.  I  will 
take  care  to  properly  reward  you,  if  you  show  yourself 
faithful  and  devoted.  You  must  now  consider  me  as  your 
real  master,  as  there  is  no  probability  you  will  ever  be  re- 
deemed ;  indeed,  any  claim  to  that  effect  would  now  come 
too  late,  as  it  would  not  be  countenanced  by  the  law.' 

"  More  than  six  months  had  passed  since  I  was  sepa- 
rated from  my  father.  I  had  never  heard  of  him,  and  what 
my  master  had  said  I  found  to  be  but  too  true.  I  had 
been  left  as  security  for  my  father's  gaming  debt  for  the 
space  of  six  months ;  after  that  time,  and  this  debt  still 
unpaid,  he  could  lay  no  claim  to  me. 

"  As  regarded  the  planter's  inducement  for  me  to  play 
the  spy  over  my  fellow-slaves,  it  quite  perplexed  my  mind. 


320  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

Admitting  I  might  by  chance  discover  his  enemies  and  the 
destroyers  of  his  fortune,  I  could  not  be  so  base  as  to 
disclose  the  fact.  At  the  same  time,  if  I  failed  to  serve 
him  after  receiving  his  confidence,  I  was  well  aware  I 
should  find  in  him  a  bitter,  inexorable  foe. 

"  When  night  came  on,  I  repaired  to  my  cabin  without 
imparting  to  any  body  my  conversation  with  the  planter ; 
and,  after  thinking  awhile  over  my  situation  and  the 
incidents  of  the  day,  I  fell  asleep,  when  a  slight  noise  awak- 
ened me.  An  old  negro  was  standing  by  my  side,  having 
crept  into  my  cabin  in  some  unaccountable  manner.  Put- 
ting his  finger  to  his  lips,  as  though  to  preclude  any 
question : 

"  *  We  know,'  said  he,  '  what  took  place  between  our 
master  and  yourself;  and  we  shall  soon  discover  whether 
you  are  a  traitor  or  not  to  the  negro  race.  The  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  slaves  who  toil  on  this  plantation  have  vested 
me  with  an  absolute  power  over  them,  and  so  have  the 
negroes  of  the  neighboring  plantations.  We  punish  cruel 
masters  by  ruining  them  or  taking  away  the  objects  of  their 
care  or  affection.  For  those  who  show  any  kindly  feeling 
toward  their  fellow-creatures,  we  apparently  do  every 
thing  in  our  power.  But  we  never  go  so  far  as  to  help 
enrich  them  ;  for,  just  so  soon  as  planters  are  convinced 
that  negro  labor  is  no  longer  profitable,  and  that  slavery 
entails  untold  miseries  upon  society  without  increasing 
private  wealth,  the  institution  will  be  doomed.  The  whites 
are  quick  to  understand  every  argument  that  tells  on  their 
purse.  And  now  heed  my  last  words :  be  always  ready  to 
obey.' 

"The  mysterious  old  man  disappeared  before  I  had 
time  to  recover  from  my  surprise.  The  next  day  I  vainly 
tried  to  discover,  among  the  other  negroes,  my  nocturnal 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  321 

visitor,  whose  face  I  had  distinctly  perceived  in  the 
resplendent  moonlight  that  came  through  my  cabin  win- 
dow. 

"  A  few  weeks  later,  the  planter's  second  son  married 
the  daughter  of  one  of  his  neighbors.  Great  festivities 
took  place  at  the  plantation,  and  a  day  of  rest  was  granted 
us  for  the  occasion.  The  slaves  indulged  in  every  kind  of 
diversion ;  they  danced  during  a  portion  of  the  night,  while 
dancing  was  also  carried  on  in  our  master's  mansion. 
Numerous  slaves  from  neighboring  plantations  had  joined 
our  party ;  and  on  seeing  the  general  contentment,  the 
signs  of  happiness  exhibited  by  both  races,  no  observer 
would  have  suspected  there  existed  between  them  an  in- 
tense and  inextinguishable  hatred.  We  had  a  striking 
proof  of  it  a  few  months  after  that  wedding. 

"  Among  the  house  servants  was  a  girl  whom  the  newly- 
married  young  man  had  kept  as  a  mistress  for  several 
years.  She  had  become  the  mother  of  a  couple  of  chil- 
dren, and  was  sent  to  work  in  the  fields  soon  after  our 
young  master's  wedding,  old  female  slaves  being  intrusted 
with  the  care  of  her  children.  The  neglected  girl  became 
the  object  of  many  a  bitter  joke  from  the  male  and  female 
slaves  of  the  plantation.  She  seemed  to  bear  patiently 
her  new  situation,  but  was  intent  on  having  revenge,  as 
soon  afterward  appeared. 

"  One  night  we  were  awakened  by  frightful  clamors  from 
the  planter  and  his  household.  They  hurriedly  entered 
our  cabins,  and  we  saw,  from  the  glare  of  volumes  of 
flames  at  a  distance,  the  cause  of  their  fright.  A  barn, 
where  ginned  cotton  was  deposited  previous  to  pressing, 
was  on  fire,  and  all  our  endeavors  to  subdue  the  flames 
were  of  no  avail.  A  considerable  portion  of  the  cotton 
crop  was  destroyed  in  an  instant.  The  cause  of  the  fire 


322  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

could  not  be  ascertained.  The  planter  visited  every 
evening  all  the  outbuildings,  which  he  locked  up  himself; 
and  the  authors  of  this  new  disaster  remained  unknown. 
But,  when  conversing  about  it  the  next  day,  with  the  former 
mistress  of  the  planter's  son,  and  seeing  her  eyes  sparkle 
as  though  with  feelings  of  joy  and  exultation,  I  was  con 
vinced  she  was  the  offender. 

"  But  her  resentment  did  not  stop  there.  We  learned, 
one  morning,  that  the  planter's  family  had  narrowly  escaped 
being  poisoned.  A  doctor,  returning  from  an  early  excur- 
sion, had  been  invited  to  breakfast.  The  peculiar  aroma 
of  the  coffee  arousing  his  suspicions,  he  forbade  the  family 
to  drink  it.  The  coffee  was  analyzed  that  very  day  by  the 
physician,  who  found  it  impregnated  with  arsenic.  The 
woman's  children  had  the  privilege,  with  others  of  the 
plantation,  to  enter  at  pleasure  the  kitchen  of  the  house. 
When  questioned  by  the  planter,  the  eldest,  a  little  boy, 
five  or  six  years  old,  confessed  he  had  placed  in  the  coffee- 
pot a  white  powder  he  had  received  for  that  purpose  from 
his  mother,  who  had  enjoined  him  not  to  taste  it.  That 
revelation  clearly  pointed  out  the  author  of  the  crime.  The 
planter  immediately  stripped  his  son's  former  mistress, 
tied  her  to  a  stake  in  the  yard,  and  flogged  her  until  her 
body  was  thoroughly  lacerated.  When  her  wounds  were 
healed,  the  planter's  son  took  her  to  Virginia,  then  the 
great  slave-mart,  and  sold  her. 

"  This  last  proceeding  may  serve  to  explain  why  crimes 
seemed,  from  statistics  published  by  the  government,  com- 
paratively less  frequent  in  Southern  than  in  Northern 
States.  Offenses  committed  by  blacks  were  seldom  ex- 
posed ;  as,  by  publishing  them,  the  institution  of  slavery 
would  have  been  depreciated.  The  law  in  the  Southern 
States  enacted,  it  is  true,  that,  in  case  a  planter  should  be 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  323 

deprived  of  his  slave's  services  in  consequence  of  an  offense, 
he  would  be  entitled  to  a  compensation  from  the  State. 
But  few  planters  availed  themselves  of  that  law,  preferring 
to  sell  a  dangerous  negro  rather  than  to  apply  to  the 
State  for  an  indemnity,  often  meagre  and  always  obtained 
after  much  delay.  In  that  way,  the  true  condition  of 
negroes  and  their  relations  with  the  whites  were  kept  from 
the  knowledge  of  the  public,  and  statisticians  themselves 
deceived  in  their  statements  and  conclusions. 

"  Anyhow,  the  separation  of  the  young  negro  woman 
from  her  children  had  been  exceedingly  painful ;  and  it  was 
a  sight  well  calculated  to  destroy  that  carefully  entertained 
notion  among  white  people  that  maternal  love  is  a  feeling 
unknown  among  negroes. 

"  Repeated  losses  obliged  the  planter  to  successively  sell 
off  a  dozen  negroes,  thus  separating  them  from  the  objects 
of  their  affection  ;  and  their  parting  was  invariably  follow- 
ed by  many  gloomy  days  among  the  remaining  negroes — 
thus  becoming  more  and  more  impressed  with  their  un- 
fortunate condition. 

"  The  planter  now  was  almost  constantly  in  a  state  of 
intoxication,  and  his  fits  of  passion  were  frightful.  One 
evening,  we  were  busy  weighing  the  cotton  we  had  picked 
in  the  course  of  the  day,  when  our  master  detected  a 
sickly  negro  who  had  not  picked  the  quantity  exacted 
from  every  one.  The  slave's  enfeebled  health  was  not 
taken  into  consideration  by  the  planter,  who  reproached 
him  with  laziness  ;  and,  after  abusing,  commenced  to  whip 
him  severely.  The  poor  fellow  tried  to  escape  his  infuri- 
ated master,  when  the  latter,  grasping  an  ax,  and  before 
the  bystanders  could  prevent  him,  split  open  the  slave's 
head.  The  frightened  -negroes  began  running  away  in 
every  direction,  when  an  old  slave,  whom  I  at  once  recog- 


324  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

nized  as  the  man  who,  a  few  months  before,  had  come 
during  the  night  into  my  cabin,  called  them  back,  with  a 
commanding  voice. 

"  '  Lift  up,'  said  he,  with  a  dignified  air  that  surprised  all, 
'  one  of  your  brethren,  whose  misery  is  just  ended  !  Car- 
ry him  to  his  cabin,  and  cover  him  with  wreaths  of  flowers  ! 
We  will,  on  Sunday  next,  attend  his  funeral.' 

"  It  was,  in  fact,  only  on  Sundays  that  negro  funerals 
took  place,  before  the  abolition  of  slavery.  By  choosing 
the  great  day  of  rest  for  such  solemnities,  the  blacks  had 
sufficient  time  to  decently  bury  their  own  kin.  And  their 
masters  could  not  object,  as  the  week's  work  was  not  inter- 
fered with. 

"  When  Sunday  arrived,  hundreds  of  slaves  from  adja- 
cent plantations  came,  to  pay  a  last  tribute  of  regard  in  this 
world  to  our  master's  victim — a  victim  whose  death  was 
not  avenged,  as  a  jury,  selected  among  neighboring  plant- 
ers, declared  the  murder  was  justifiable,  as  the  negro  had 
tried  to  resist  a  deserved  punishment.  All  the  slaves 
attending  the  funeral  uncovered  their  heads,  and  passed 
in  front  of  the  dead  body,  whose  eyes  were  concealed  by 
silver  pieces — the  negroes,  perhaps,  ignoring  the  process 
by  which  eyelids  are  closed  ;  and  then  we  carried  our  dead 
companion  to  a  graveyard,  situated  a  few  miles  off,  and 
where  negroes  were  buried.  The  leader  of  the  procession 
was  the  mysterious  old  man — the  oldest  slave,  I  was  told, 
on  the  plantation.  He  acted  as  gardener  for  the  family  of 
our  master,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
He  was  even  acknowledged  as  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  by 
those  of  our  race.  A  few  negroes  dug  a  grave,  and  after 
the  coffin  was  lowered  into  it,  all  the  attendants,  one  after 
another,  threw  a  shovelful  of  earth  into  it.  When  it  was 
filled,  at  a  sign  from  the  old  man,  who  acted  as  minister, 


Asmodetis  in  New -York.  325 

every  one  knelt.  Then  he  recited  a  prayer,  spoke  in  glow- 
ing terms  of  the  deceased,  and  concluded  by  dwelling  on 
the  sufferings  of  the  black  race. 

" '  Those  sufferings,'  he  concluded,  '  are  fast  coming  to 
an  end.  The  day  is  near,  when  proud  masters,  amid  dire 
lamentations,  will  acknowledge  we  are  their  equals — the 
children  of  the  same  God ;  and  Heaven,  to  compensate 
our  people  for  the  oppression  of  many  centuries,  will  allot 
it  the  finest  countries  in  the  world,  suffused,  all  the  year 
round,  by  the  rays  of  a  genial  sun.' 

"After  this  speech,  the  negroes  arose  and  returned  to 
the  plantation.  The  men,  in  couples,  led  the  march,  and 
the  women  and  children  followed.  Every  one  in  the  ranks 
was  silent,  and  when  we  had  reached  a  thick  wood,  at  a 
bend  of  the  road,  the  minister  clapped  his  hands  ;  then 
five  negroes,  the  best  laborers  of  the  plantation,  imme- 
diately left  the  lines,  and  disappeared  in  the  woods. 

"  The  old  negro  himself  gave  notice  to  the  planter  that 
five  slaves  had  run  away.  The  latter,  in  a  fit  of  rage,  rode 
immediately  in  search  of  them,  accompanied  by  his  son 
and  a  few  neighbors.  But  the  dogs  they  took  with  them 
could  not  track  the  runaway  negroes,  who  had  strewn 
pepper  along  the  path  they  had  taken — an  infallible  means 
to  deceive  and  put  bloodhounds  off  the  scent 

"When  night  approached,  our  master  and  his  friends 
returned  home,  after  a  fruitless  search  for  the  negroes — 
without  obtaining  even  the  slightest  information  respecting 
their  hiding-place  or  the  direction  they  had  taken. 

"  But  the  planter's  trials  were  not  yet  ended  ;  for  after 
many  losses  of  money,  he  was  destined  to  suffer  in  his 
feelings  as  a  father  and  as  a  man. 

"  The  excitement  which  follawed  the  flight  of  the  best 
laborers  of  the  plantation  was  subsiding;  the  advertise- 


326  Asmodetis  in  New -York. 

merits  inserted  in  the  newspapers,  giving  a  description  of 
the  runaway  slaves,  and  promising  large  rewards  to  those 
who  could  catch  them,  had  been  fruitless ;  and  the  planter 
was  beginning  to  feel  resigned  to  his  loss,  when,  one  even- 
ing, the  old  man,  who  had  absolute  control  over  the 
negroes  of  the  plantation,  ordered  me  to  inform  our  mas- 
ter I  had  perceived  the  runaway  negroes,  baskjng  in  the 
sun  in  a  wood  in  the  vicinity  of  which  we  had  been  at 
work  during  the  course  of  the  day.  I  did  as  directed, 
little  suspecting  I  was,  by  so  doing,  endangering  my  own 
life. 

"  Without  losing  time,  the  planter  locked  up  the  slaves 
in  their  cabins,  and  started  immediately  with  his  son  in  the 
direction  of  the  wood.  Of  course,  his  search  after  the 
runaway  negroes  resulted  in  nothing.  But  when  he  re- 
turned home,  about  midnight,  a  terrible  surprise  awaited 
him. 

"  His  remaining  five  children  consisted  of  two  sons  and 
three  daughters.  The  youngest  of  the  latter,  named  Nel- 
lie, about  six  years  old,  was  the  object  of  her  parents'  most 
tender  love.  The  child  slept  in  the  planter's  room ;  and 
when,  on  that  eventful  night,  he  went  to  her  cot  to  kiss 
her  as  usual,  he  discovered  with  dismay  that  it  was  empty. 
His  wife  was  aroused  by  the  clamorous  inquiries  of  the 
planter ;  and  both  hurriedly  questioned  the  other  children. 
But  they  could  only  grieve  with  their  parents  at  the  dis- 
appearance of  their  sister — entirely  unable  as  they  were, 
to  give  any  information  respecting  this  awful  mystery. 
The  shutters  of  the  house  had  been  bolted  by  the  family 
from  the  inside,  and  as  the  entrance-door  had  been 
opened  by  the  planter  himself  with  his  latch-key  on  his  re- 
turn from  his  fruitless  journey,  it  was  really  impossible  to 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.     •  327 

conceive  how  and  when  the  abduction  of  the  little  girl  had 
been  accomplished. 

"  The  members  of  that  unfortunate  family  made  search 
everywhere — in  the  outbuildings,  in  the  neighboring  fields 
and  woods — all  the  while  vainly  calling  aloud  the  name  of 
the  object  of  their  pursuit.  All  at  once,  the  planter  re- 
membered the  intelligence  I  had  given  him,  and  owing  to 
which  he  had  left  his  house  on  his  nocturnal  hunt.  That 
circumstance,  he  thought,  clearly  pointed  me  out  as  one 
of  the  conspirators  who  had  .deprived  him  of  his  child ;  so 
rushing  to  the  cabin  where  I  was  sleeping  in  entire  igno- 
rance of  the  calamity  which  had  befallen  him  and  his 
family,  he  roughly  pulled  me  from  my  bed,  beat  me  un- 
mercifully, and  dragged  me  to  the  yard,  in  the  centre  of 
which  was  a  stake,  to  which  negroes  were  fastened  pre- 
viously to  being  flogged. 

" '  Do  you  see  that  stake  ? '  said  he,  '  I  am  about  to  tie 
you  to  it  with  my  own  hands,  keep  you  there  and  watch 
you  myself;  and  if  my  child  is  not  found  at  dawn  of 
day,  I  will  burn  you  alive  ! ' 

"  I  vainly  protested  I  knew  nothing  about  the  child,  as 
I  had  learned  of  her  disappearance  through  himself;  but 
I  could  move  him  no  more  than  if  I  had  spoken  to  a  rock. 
He  fastened  me  to  the  stake,  tying  my  legs  and  arms,  and, 
with  revolver  in  hand,  sat  down  to  wait  for  mprning. 

"It  was  not  long  before  the  stars  commenced  to  dis- 
appear from  the  heaven,  and  birds  to  welcome  the  return 
of  daylight.  Then  the  planter's  son  blew  the  horn,  and 
the  slaves'  cabins  were  opened.  In  a  few  minutes,  every 
one  of  them  knew  of  the  event  of  the  night  and  the  fright- 
ful death  with  which  I  was  threatened.  The  planter  or- 
dered them  to  remain  a  short  distance  from  the  post ;  then 
he  sent  his  children  for  wood  and  turpentine,  and  himself 


328  •    Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

heaped  the  fuel  around  me,  sprinkling  it  with  the  turpen- 
tine. 

"  Whether  bond  or  free,  life  is  still  sweet  to  a  man  not 
yet  twenty-two  years  old ;  and  I  was  terrified  at  sight  of, 
the  torture  in  preparation  for  me,  and  implored  the  slaves, 
and  especially  the  old  Methodist  minister,  to  restore  to  the 
planter  his  child,  if  they  knew  what  had  become  of  her. 
But  all  of  them  remained  silent.  I  then  begged  for  mercy 
from  the  planter  himself — his  wife,  his  children.  I  warned 
them  that  the  blood  of  an  innocent  man  would  fall  upon 
their  heads.  To  all  my  protestations  and  prayers  the 
planter  made  this  invariable  answer :  '  Tell  me  where  my 
child  is  ;  and  not  only  will  I  spare  your  life,  but  I  will  even 
set  you  free.' 

"  He  now  sent  one  of  the  slaves  for  a  firebrand  ;  and,  af- 
ter adjuring  me,  for  the  last  time,  to  give  him  the  informa- 
tion which  was  entirely  out  of  my  power,  he  fired  the  pile. 
The  ascending  smoke  commenced  to  suffocate  me  ;  I  grew 
faint  and  dizzy,  and  was  just  about  addressing  a  last 
prayer  to  God,  when  it  seemed  to  me,  from  the  confused 
hum  of  unfamiliar  voices,  that  strangers  were  pulling  down 
and  scattering  the  burning  pile.  I  soon  recovered  the  use 
of  my  senses,  and  could  then  understand  what  was  going 
on. 

"  Between  the  planter,  surrounded  by  his  family,  and  the 
stake  to  which  I  was  fastened,  six  men  were  standing. 
One  of  these,  a  gray-haired  gentleman,  seemed  the  father 
of  the  others  ;  all  were  tall,  and  carried  rifles  in  their 
hands.  At  a  short  distance  on  the  road,  four  or  five  wag- 
ons, covered  with  white  canvas,  each  drawn  by  four 
mules,  could  be  seen.  Some  young  ladies,  neatly  dressed, 
were  sitting  in  front  of  the  foremost  of  these  wagons; 
while  others,  strolling  on  the  road,  threw  to  the  breeze  the 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  329 

burden  of  a  song.  They  were  a  family  of  Yankees,  who, 
as  I  learned  afterward,  were  emigrating  from  New-England 
to  the  Far  West. 

"  '  I  will  not  stand  idly  by,'  said  the  old  gentleman,  after 
ascertaining  my  life  was  out  of  danger,  '  and  see  the 
American  name  about  to  be  disgraced  by  an  infamous  out- 
rage to  mankind ! ' 

"And  as  the  planter,  in  a  frenzy,  bade  his  motionless 
slaves  to  drive  away  the  intruders  : 

" '  There  are  six  of  us  here,  and  each  provided  with  an 
unerring  rifle,'  continued  the  Yankee ;  '  and  you  are  but 
two.  So  the  best  thing  you  can  do  is  to  keep  quiet  and 
answer  my  questions.' 

"  Then,  with  a  serene  but  dignified  look,  he  asked  the 
planter  what  offense  I  was  guilty  of.  When  he  learned 
I  was  suspected  of  having  abducted  a  child,  but  that  no 
satisfactory  proof,  no  evidence  of  my  culpability  could  be 
procured,  he  said  to  the  planter : 

" '  You  may  thank  God  that  I  have  arrived  in  time  to 
prevent  you  from  committing  a  frightful  crime — one  of 
those  outrages  to  mankind  newspapers  sometimes  relate  ; 
but  which  I  had  attributed  to  party  spirit,  for  the  welfare 
of  my  country's  good  name.  And  you,'  he  pursued, 
while  untying  my  arms  and  legs,  '  tell  us,  I  adjure  you,  in 
the  name  of  the  Almighty,  the  Master  of  all  men,  where  is 
the  abducted  child  ? ' 

" '  If  I  knew,'  I  answered,  '  I  would  have  long  ago  put 
an  end  to  my  master's  anxiety ;  for  I  have  no  feeling  of 
hatred  or  revenge  against  him.' 

" '  You  are  indebted  to  me  for  your  life,'  continued  the 
Yankee  ;  '  had  it  not  been  for  me,  your  earthly  frame  would 
be  now  only  ashes  ;  but  I  shall  consider  myself  amply  paid 


33O  Asmodetis  in  New -York. 

for  my  service  if  you  will  give  me  the  means  to  restore 
their  child  to  those  miserable  people.' 

"  It  was  utterly  impossible  for  me  to  satisfy  the  Yankee's 
desire,  and  I  perceived  he  began  to  question  my  feelings 
of  gratitude  and  sincerity,  and  perhaps  to  regret  his  in- 
tervention. He  took  aside  two  of  his  sons,  and  after  con- 
versing a  few  minutes  with  them,  asked  my  master : 

"  '  How  much  is  that  negro  worth  ? ' 

" '  One  thousand  dollars,'  answered  the  latter. 

"  '  Here  is  the  money,'  said  the  man  who  had  saved  my 
life,  handing  a  bundle  of  bank-bills  to  the  planter.  '  This 
slave  henceforth  belongs  to  me.  Having  interfered  with 
your  affairs,  justly  or  unjustly,  I  can  not  leave  that  young 
man  in  your  hands  to  be  exposed  to  your  resentment ;  and 
it  is  better  for  you  to  take  that  money  than  to  become 
guilty  of  a  heinous  crime.  Besides,  if  he  knows  any  thing 
concerning  the  circumstances  which  have  deprived. you  of 
your  child,  he  will  speak  out  when  relieved  of  all  fear  of 
you  or  his  fellow-slaves.  Perhaps  the  bargain  I  propose 
to  you  is  the  only  means  to  recover  your  lost  child.' 

"  The  planter  agreed  to  the  proposition,  and  ordered 
some  slaves  to  bring  me  a  few  garments.  Then  the  Yan- 
kee beckoned  me  to  follow  him ;  and,  a  few  minutes  after, 
the  heavy  wagons  of  the  Northerners  were  again  on  their 
way  toward  the  Far  West,  with  one  more  emigrant.  Those 
wagons  were  a  sort  of  migratory  town,  offering  all  the 
conveniences  of  life.  Two  of  them  contained  food  for  the 
cattle  ;  the  others,  provisions  for  the  family  and  household 
implements.  In  one  of  them  a  sleeping  and  dressing-room 
had  been  provided  for  the  ladies.  The  men  walked  ;  and, 
when  tired,  which  was  seldom  the  case,  rode  on  their 
mules. 

"When  evening  came  on,  the  Yankees  stopped  near  the 


Asmodeiis  in  New -York.  331 

banks  of  a  river,  and  made  preparations  for  the  night.  One 
of  the  "young  men  cut  wood  and  kindled  a  fire;  another 
attended  to  the  cattle ;  another  pitched  the  tents ;  while 
the  Yankee's  wife  and  their  three  daughters  prepared  sup- 
per. This  meal  over,  and  after  a  prayer,  the  members  of 
the  family  separated — the  ladies  repairing  to  the  wagons, 
and  a  portion  of.  the  men  to  the  tents,  while  the  others 
posted  themselves  here  and  there  to  keep  watch  during  the 
night. 

"After  traveling  in  this  way  many  weeks,  we  arrived  in 
Western  Texas,  where  the  Yankee  had  originally  intended 
to  settle ;  but  the  sight  of  the  miseries  we  met  at  every 
step,  while  going  through  the  slave  States,  had  gradually 
shaken  his  purpose ;  and  when  we  believed  our  journey 
was  at  an  end,  he  made  known  his  resolution,  to  the 
intense  joy  of  his  wife  and  children,  of  going  to  the 
coast  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  of  settling  in  the  free 
State  of  California.  We  consequently  resumed  our  jour- 
ney, and  traveled  over  almost  the  entire  breadth  of  the 
Mexican  republic — often  amid  dangers  which  only  the  pru- 
dence and  energy  of  the  Yankee  successfully  overcame. 

"  When  he  perceived  the  star-spangled  banner — that  re- 
vered flag  which  he  had  not  seen  for  many  a  weary  month 
— the  Yankee  knelt  down  and  thanked  God  for  having 
protected  him  through  so  perilous  an  enterprise.  Then, 
turning  to  me,  '  You  now  tread,'  said  he,  '  on  American  soil, 
where  every  man  is  his  own  master  ;  consequently  you  are 
free,  and  can  do  what  you  please.  The  best  investment 
I  ever  made  in  my  life  was  when  I  gave  one  thousand 
dollars  to  release  you  from  bondage ;  for  you  have  amply 
paid  me  for  it  up  to  this  day  by  your  devotedness.' 

"  I  asked  the  gentleman,  as  a  favor,  to  permit  me  to 
stay  with  him  a  few  years,  until  I  had  made  enough  money 


332  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

under  his  advice  and  direction,  to  redeem  my  two  sisters 
from  slavery.  He  readily  assented ;  and  a  few  weeks  after, 
two  of  his  sons  and  myself  set  out  for  the  gold  regions, 
while  the  Yankee  and  the  remainder  of  his  family  settled 
on  a  farm,  situated  a  few  miles  from  San  Francisco. 

"We  had  hard  times  at  the  diggings,  though  favored 
with  better  luck  than  many  other  miners.  After  a  year 
spent  there,  we  went  to  San  Francisco,  and  sold  for  about 
four  thousand  dollars  the  gold-dust  we  had  gathered.  I 
now  refunded  to  my  benefactor,  though  he  long  declined 
to  accept  it,  the  one  thousand  dollars  he  had  paid  for  me  ; 
and  I  left  in  his  hands,  besides,  five  hundred  dollars  when, 
after  a  few  weeks'  rest  at  the  farm,  I  returned  with  his 
two  sons  to  the  diggings.  We  again  toiled  there  a  little 
more  than  two  years,  returning  each  year  for  a  short  time 
to  the  farm,  where  I  was  always  welcomed  as  one  of  the 
family. 

"  When  I  was  possessed  of  over  five  thousand  dollars, 
I  determined  to  buy  my  sisters'  freedom.  The  Yankee 
and  his  family  approved  of  my  resolution  ;  so,  after  taking 
leave  of  those  good  people,  with  heart-felt  grief,  I  took 
passage  on  board  of  one  of  the  San  Francisco  and  New- York 
line  of  steamers.  I  was  then  far  from  believing  I  had  to 
again  undergo  many  and  painful  trials. 

"  While  working  at  the  gold  mines  with  my  benefactor's 
sons,  and  during  the  long  winter  evenings,  they  had  taught 
me  to  read  and  write.  I  had  also  learned  a  little  of  arith- 
metic and  geography  ;  and,  living  with  freemen,  I  had  lost 
the  slave's  cautious  habits  and  bashful  demeanor.  I  was, 
besides,  worth  five  thousand  dollars,  and  I  knew  enough 
of  the  world  to  be  fully  aware  that  money  overcomes  many 
difficulties. 

"  After  spending  a  few  days  in  New- York,  I  set  out  for 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  333 

the  South,  taking  with  me  three  thousand  dollars,  and  de- 
positing the  remainder  of  my  money  in  the  hands  of  a 
banker.  I  had  no  trouble  to  find  the  place  where  I  had 
spent  my  early  years ;  and  my  mother's  and  sisters'  joy  was 
unbounded  when  they  recognized  me,  though  they  did  not 
conceal  their  apprehension  concerning  my  safety.  I 
learned  through  them  that  my  father,  before  dying,  had 
begged  one  of  his  sons-in-law  to  go  for  me  to  New- 
Orleans.  He  had  made  a  solemn  promise  to  do  so, 
though  probably  intending  never  to  keep  it.  My  father, 
a  few  days  after  his  return,  h'ad  been  thrown  from  his 
carriage ;  and  after  languishing  a  few  weeks,  had  died 
broken-hearted,  speaking  of  me  till  death  closed  his 
eyes. 

"  I  decided  to  see  my  father's  son-in-law,  and  carry  out 
the  purpose  of  my  journey,  which  was  the  liberation  of  my 
sisters.  The  planter  exhibited  great  satisfaction  on  seeing 
me  alive,  and  asserted  there  was  no  difficulty  in  coming  to 
an  understanding.  A  few  days  later  he  agreed  to  take 
three  thousand  dollars  for  my  two  sisters,  the  price  of 
slaves  having  considerably  increased  in  consequence  of 
the  extension  of  the  cotton  culture.  A  girl  twenty  years 
old  was  then  worth  fifteen  hundred  dollars  and  upward, 
and  strong  male  laborers  three  thousand  dollars  apiece. 
The  planter  estimated  I  was  worth  the  last  amount.  Conse- 
quently, I  paid  him  three  thousand  dollars  for  my  sisters' 
ransom ;  drew  on  the  New-York  banker  for  the  two  thou- 
sand dollars  deposited  with  him ;  and,  as  soon  as  received, 
I  hastened  with  them  to  the  planter,  offering  him,  to  perfect 
the  payment  of  my  own  freedom,  a  note  for  one  thousand 
dollars,  payable  after  six  months — fully  convinced  I  should 
receive,  in  the  mean  time,  that  amount  from  my  Californian 
friends,  to  whom  I  had  already  written  several  letters. 


334  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

11  On  hearing  my  proposition,  the  planter  burst  out 
laughing.  '  Boy,'  said  he,  '  a  negro  is  not  a  person,  accord- 
ing to  the  law.  He  can  hold  no  property ;  he  can  make  no 
will ;  he  can  not  go  to  law ;  he  can  not  be  even  a  witness ; 
he  has  no  more  rights  than  cattle  ;  every  thing  he  is  pos- 
sessed of  belongs  to  his  master  ;  hence  the  note  you  prof- 
fer me  would  be  perfectly  worthless.  I  have  countenanced, 
up  to  this  day,  a  farce  that  must  be  ended  at  once.  You 
are  my  slave ;  your  sisters  have  never  ceased  to  be  so,  in 
spite  of  the  three  thousand  dollars  you  gave  me  for  their 
liberation.  All  the  money  you  have  brought  from  Califor- 
nia belongs  to  me,  and  I  consider  it  as  a  fair  compensation 
for  the  labor  I  have  been  robbed  of  by  your  absence.  I 
advise  you  to  become  reconciled  with  your  situation,  with- 
out either  grumbling  or  again  alluding  to  the  freedom  you 
have  enjoyed.  I  repeat  you  are  my  slave,  and  no  power 
on  earth  can  snatch  you  from  me.' 

"  My  mother's  and  sisters'  misgivings  were  thus  realized, 
and  I  again  found  myself  in  slavery.  The  next  day  I  was 
sent  with  the  other  negroes  to  the  fields.  But  I  remained 
a  few  weeks  only  with  my  family.  The  planter  seemed 
uneasy  whenever  he  met  me,  as  though  his  mind  were 
preyed  upon  by  fear  and  remorse.  So  he  sold  me,  for  two 
thousand  dollars,  to  a  trader  who  was  on  his  way  to  Ten- 
nessee. After  this  negotiation,  I  started  with  the  trader, 
and  we  arrived  at  Memphis  on  the  eve  of  a  presidential 
election,  and  in  the  midst  of  a  violent  party  strife  that 
boded  no  good  for  the  peace  of  the  country  and  the  pre- 
servation of  the  Union.  Here  the  trader  sold  me,  for  two 
thousand  five  hundred  dollars,  to  the  proprietor  of  one  of 
the  largest  hotels  in  that  city ;  and  as  I  could  both  read 
and  write,  I  was  charged  to  keep  the  books  in  the 
hair-dressing  saloon  attached  to  the  hotel.  There  were 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  335 

in  the  saloon  about  fifteen  waiters — all  slaves,  of  course 
and  busy  day  and  night.  I  was  fortunate  enough  to  dis- 
charge my  trust  to  the  satisfaction  of  my  master  and,  I 
dare  say,  of  the  public. 

"  My  situation  would  have  been  pleasant  enough  but  for 
the  want  of  freedom,  without  which  the  finest  occupation 
in  the  world  is  insufferable.  Besides,  my  anxiety  respect- 
ing my  beloved  relatives  ;  the  recollection  of  the  swindle 
through  which  I  had  lost  the  fruits  of  several  years'  labor ; 
the  uncertainty  of  my  prospects — all  these  causes  filled  my 
mind  with  distress.  I  had  found  means  to  write  to  my 
California  friends,  and  impart  to  them  the  misfortunes  I 
had  met,  owing  to  my  excessive  incautiousness.  But  my 
letters  were  not  answered,  or  rather,  the  answers  of  my 
friends  did  not  reach  me,  on  account  of  circumstances  I 
will  now  relate. 

"  As  I  said  before,  when  I  arrived  at  Memphis,  political 
passions  were  in  a  violent  state  of  fermentation.  The 
presidential  election  took  place  shortly  after,  and  the  Re- 
publican, or  Abolitionist,  candidate  was  elected.  And  now 
a  revolution  became  imminent.  The  Southern  States  im- 
mediately took  up  arms,  and  soon  war  fiercely  raged  be- 
tween the  two  great  sections  of  the  land.  All  communi- 
cation between  States  faithful  to  the  Constitution  and  those 
who  repudiated  it  was  interrupted  ;  and  thus  it  happened 
that  letters  from  California  could  not  reach  me. 

"  From  that  moment  commenced  an  era  of  fearful  trials, 
in  the  South,  for  the  negro  race.  The  war  had  for  its  ob- 
ject— if  not  ostensibly  acknowledged,  at  least  generally 
understood  —  the  maintenance  of  slavery.  While  many 
planters  blindly  depended  on  the  devotedness  of  their 
slaves,  the  majority  mistrusted  them,  and  believed  the 
secret  sympathies  of  the  negroes  were  with  the  North. 


336  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

The  majority  was  right,  as  fully  shown  by  subsequent 
events.  Anyhow,  as  soon  as  hostilities  began,  it  was 
deemed  prudent  throughout  the  South,  to  watch  more 
closely  the  slaves,  and  tighter  draw  their  chains.  They 
were  often  treated  with  the  utmost  severity;  and  when 
a  portion  of  the  Southern  States  was  laid  waste  by  the 
Northern  armies,  the  planters  could  hardly  control  their 
hatred  for  a  race  which,  though  it  was  the  innocent  cause 
of  the  war,  had  brought  upon  the  South  untold  miseries. 

"  With  the  reverses  of  the  Southern  armies,  ill-treatment 
of  and  cruelties  to  the  slaves  increased;  and  more  than  once 
I  wondered  at  the  patience  of  the  blacks,  though  I  was  not 
less  surprised  at  the  imprudence  of  the  slaveholders,  talk- 
ing as  they  did,  without  restraint,  in  the  presence  of  their 
slaves.  That  imprudence  I  had  previously  noticed,  when 
I  was  one  of  the  working  hands  on  a  Mississippi  planta- 
tion. There,  while  struck  with  the  perspicacity  of  the 
slaves,  with  their  knowledge  of  the  political  questions  of 
the  day,  I  was  no  less  astonished  to  hear  their  masters 
discussing  with  utter  freedom  those  same  questions  in 
their  presence — perhaps  because  they  did  not  believe  in 
the  intelligence  of  the  negro.  At  any  rate,  they  were  un- 
intentionally giving  a  political  education  to  their  slaves  ; 
and  now,  in  the  midst  of  a  desperate  war,  the  whites  ex- 
hibited the  same  incautiousness.  They  constantly  talked 
of  the  belligerents'  pretensions ;  of  the  threats  of  negro 
emancipation,  repeatedly  made  by  the  North  ;  of  the  mili- 
tary projects  of  Southern  generals  ;  of  their  successes  and 
defeats — as  if  they  had  only  friends  among  their  negro 
hearers,  while  many  of  them,  undoubtedly,  were  irrecon- 
cilable enemies,  and  not  a  few,  perhaps,  spies. 

"  The  colored  people,  I  must  say,  behaved  during  that 
period  of  adversity,  with  consummate  discretion.  That 


Asmodeus  in  New-York.  337 

discretion  had  been  recommended  them  through  secret 
emissaries,  before  the  war,  and  after  hostilities  had  actu- 
ally commenced.  Negroes  were  especially  instructed  to 
respect  persons  and  property ;  being  warned  that  they 
would  lose  the  sympathy  of  the  North  were  they  insane 
enough  to  commit  such  excesses  as  the  blacks  had  been 
guilty  of  in  other  countries.  And  you  can  now  understand 
why  the  slaves  refrained,  during  the  civil  war,  from  any 
violence  or  retaliation,  even  in  those  localities  where  they 
had  been  quartered  in  large  numbers,  and  among  women 
and  children  deprived  of  their  natural  protectors,  who  were 
fighting  under  the  Confederate  flag. 

"  The  negroes  had  been  successively  removed  from  the 
States  exposed  to  the  incursions  of  the  Federals,  to  the  in- 
terior of  those  which  were  supposed  to  be  safe  from  inva- 
sion. And  this  was  the  case  when  Memphis  was  threat- 
ened by  the  Northern  fleet.  All  the  slaves — men,  women, 
and  children  —  were  taken  to  a  neighboring  State  —  or 
rather,  driven  like  cattle,  by  cavalrymen,  sword  in  hand, 
and  often  in  a  state  of  beastly  intoxication. 

"  I  was  among  those  unfortunate  victims  of  the  war. 
We  were  hurried  to  a  locality  where  half  the  plantations 
were  uncultivated,  for. want  of  hands  and  mules — the  latter 
having  been  turned  over  to  the  Confederate  army.  Almost 
naked,  living  on  corn-bread  only,  we  there  spent  several 
months.  The  whites,  I  must  admit,  had  also  to  endure 
frightful  privations  ;  for  the  consequences  of  the  war  were 
felt  everywhere  and  by  every  body. 

"  One  day  we  heard  a  hollow  sound,  at  a  distance,  like 
that  of  a  clap  of  thunder.  The  sun  was  shining  in  a  cloud- 
less sky,  and  we  could  not  explain  the  mysterious  noise. 
Suddenly  we  saw  a  number  of  frightened  white  persons 
running  in  every  direction,  carrying  bundles  of  clothes  in 


338  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

their  hands,  and  shouting  to  us  to  take  to  our  heels  and 
provide  for  our  safety.  Soon  we  heard  the  martial  strains 
of  a  band  of  music,  and,  as  if  inspired  with  one  impulse^ 
we  ran  to  meet  the  strangers.  They  were  Northern  men ; 
and  we  beheld  with  joy  the  star-spangled  banner  which 
carried  our  freedom  in  its  folds  ! 

"  I  enlisted  in  one  of  the  colored  regiments,  then  raising 
for  the  purpose  of  helping  the  work  of  regenerating  our 
race,  and  during  two  years,  fought  by  the  side  of  my  de- 
liverers. 

"  One  day  my  regiment  was  designated  for  one  of  those 
incursions  the  object  of  which  was  to  destroy  the  resources 
of  the  insurgents.  On  our  march,  we  chanced  to  pass  a 
short  distance  from  the  plantation  where,  many  years  pre- 
vious, the  Yankees  had  rescued  me  from  death.  We  were 
allowed  to  rest  here  awhile,  and  I  was  not  slow  to  perceive 
that  the  plantation  had  previously  been  ransacked  and 
laid  waste  by  the  Federals.  All  the  fruit-trees  had  been 
cut  down  ;  only  the  walls  of  the  mansion  were  standing ; 
and  snakes  were  hissing  and  sporting  amid  the  thick,  high 
grasses  of  this  once  flourishing  place.  A  few  negroes, 
among  whom  I  recognized  the  old  Methodist  minister, 
were  the  only  human  beings  to  be  seen  on  that  desolate 
spot.  The  minister,  it  appears,  employed  his  time  in  sing- 
ing alleluias ;  and  it  was  with  great  difficulty  I  obtained 
from  him  some  information  respecting  the  former  owners 
of  the  plantation.  Shortly  after  I  had  left  the  country, 
dissipation  had  brought  to  an  untimely  end  the  planter 
who  had  attempted  to  burn  me  alive  at  the  stake.  His 
sons  had  perished  in  the  ranks  of  the  Confederate  army,  and 
his  widow  and  daughters  had  fled  a  few  months  before,  at 
the  approach  of  the  Federals,  while  all  the  negroes  had 
followed  the  invaders. 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  339 

" '  And  Nelly,  the  abducted  child,'  said  I,  when  the  old 
man  had  given  me  this  information,  '  what  of  her  ?  Was 
she  ever  found  ? ' 

" '  Never,'  answered  the  preacher.  '  Transported  during 
the  night  from  plantation  to  plantation,  to  the  extreme 
borders  of  Arkansas,  she  was  there  sold  to  an  Indian 
tribe,  and  since  that  time,  I  have  not  troubled  myself 
about  her  fate.' 

"  Consequently  Nelly  was  very  likely  kept  in  slavery 
by  the  red  men  ;  for,  strange  as  it  may  seem,  those  wild 
sons  of  the  forest,  supported  by  the  liberality  of  the  Federal 
government,  possessed  slaves,  and  it  was  to  retain  the  in- 
stitution of  slavery  among  them,  that  many  tribes  em- 
braced the  Confederate  cause. 

"  A  few  months  later  that  cause  was  definitively  lost, 
and  the  victorious  armies  of  the  Republic  disbanded.  Pos- 
sessed of  a  large  sum  of  money,  saved  from  the  pay  I  had 
received  from  the  Federal  government,  I  again  set  out 
for  the  plantation  where  I  had  been  brought  up — this  time 
without  fear  that  my  father's  heirs  might  use  a  power  they 
had  lost  forever ;  and  besides,  I  had  letters  of  introduction 
to  the  military  commanders,  the  country  being  then  under 
martial  law.  The  planter  who  had  again  plunged  me  into 
servitude  had  enlisted,  I  was  told,  in  the  Confederate  army, 
and  had  been  killed  at  the  beginning  of  the  war.  The 
plantation  had  been  deserted  by  all  valid  negroes,  and  de- 
solation reigned  on  the  banks  of  the  Savannah  as  on  those 
of  the  Mississippi.  After  vainly  trying  to  take  away  with 
me  my  mother  and  sisters,  I  left  the  South  forever.  Such 
is  the  love  of  negroes  for  their  native  land,  that  they  leave 
it  on  compulsion  only ;  they  prefer  to  lead  in  it  a  miserable 
life  to  living  in  affluence  in  another  country,  where  they 


340  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

would  be  separated  from  early  associations,  and  also  from 
the  recollection  of  their  past  miseries. 

"  Leaving  my  family  ample  means,  I  decided  to  go  to 
California.  The  prosperity  of  the  Yankee's  family  had 
rapidly  increased — many  acres  had  been  added  to  his 
farm ;  and  I  was  welcomed  with  feelings  of  the  most  sin- 
cere friendship.  Two  of  his  sons  were  married  ;  the  other 
three  were  on  the  eve  of  starting  for  the  Atlantic  States, 
with  the  view  of  obtaining  wives  there,  to  bring  back  to 
the  farm. 

"  '  It  was  our  intention,'  they  said,  '  during  our  travels, 
to  search  for  you ;  for  after  you  wrote  us  you  had  been 
swindled  out  of  your  freedom,  we  ceased  to  hear  from 
you.' 

"  I  related  to  them  my  adventures  after  that  time,  and 
the  Yankee  patriarch  fondly  took  me  in  his  arms,  when  he 
heard  I  had  fought  for  the  preservation  of  the  American 
Union. 

"'You  pleased  me  the  first  time  I  saw  you,'  said  he, 
"  and  now  I  love  you  as  much  as  if  you  were  one  of  my 
children.' 

"  Meanwhile,  the  three  young  men  were  ready  to  start. 
They  had  decided  to  go  North  by  the  overland  route ;  and 
though  their  father  desired  me  to  settle  in  California,  I  de- 
cided to  return  with  his  sons  to  the  Atlantic  States.  At 
that  time  mining  was  very  dull,  and  besides,  I  felt  no  dis- 
position to  work  alone  in  the  mines. 

"  When  my  Yankee  friend  saw  I  could  not  be  prevailed 
upon  to  settle  in  California,  he  gave  me  a  draft  on  a  New- 
York  banker  for  five  thousand  dollars. 

" '  Dispose  of  that  sum,'  said  he,  '  to  the  best  of  your 
judgment.  Whatever  be  the  business  you  engage  in,  it 
is  better  to  commence  it  with  a  few  thousands.  You  may 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  341 

pay  me  at  your  convenience,  and  I  am  sure,  unless  you 
die,  the  money  I  lend  you  will  not  be  lost.' 

"  To  secure  the  excellent  man  against  such  an  event,  I 
obtained  an  insurance  on  my  life  for  his  benefit ;  and  that 
transaction  over,  the  three  young  men  and  myself  started 
on  our  overland  journey.  We  traversed  the  recently  ad- 
mitted State  of  Nevada,  and  examined  on  our  route  some 
exceedingly  rich  silver  mines.  Soon,  we  reached  Salt 
Lake  City,  in  Utah,  the  capital  of  American  Mussulmans. 
We  spent  a  few  days  among  the  industrious  Mormons, 
whose  faith  is  but  a  cloak  for  sensualism,  and  were  on  the 
eve  of  resuming  our  journey,  when  we  learned  that  some 
Indian  tribes  had  commenced  war  against  the  pale  faces. 

"  Fortunately,  a  cavalry  regiment  was  dispatched,  a  few 
days  after,  to  protect  the  California  mails,  and  we  joined 
it  to  cross  the  plains.  Almost  at  every  step,  traces  of  the 
red  men's  ferocity  could  be  seen.  All  along  the  road 
were  scattered  the  dead  bodies  of  emigrants,  dreadfully 
mangled.  Surprised  by  the  Indians,  they  had  been  mer- 
cilessly slaughtered.  They  were  pierced  by  hundreds  of 
arrows,  and  their  scalped  heads  eloquently  warned  us  of 
our  fate,  should  we  lack  courage  and  vigilance.  The  three 
brothers  and  myself,  carrying  repeating-rifles,  never  sepa- 
rated during  the  journey,  and  when  camping,  two  of  us 
kept  watch,  while  the  other  indulged  in  a  short  nap.  We 
had  noticed  that  the  precautions  required  by  the  dangers 
to  which  we  were  exposed  were  not  taken  by  the  Regulars, 
as  though  they  despised  our  enemies  ;  and  soon  had  cause 
to  congratulate  ourselves  on  our  determination  to  watch  on 
our  own  account. 

"  One  night,  two  of  my  traveling  companions  caught  an 
Indian  just  as  he  was  creeping  into  the  inclosure  where 
our  horses  were  kept.  The  purpose  of  the  red  skin  was, 


342  Asmcdeus  in  New -York. 

no  doubt,  to  frighten  and  drive  them  into  the  plain.  The 
struggle  was  short,  ending  by  the  Indian  losing  his  life. 
But,  short  as  it  had  been,  its  noise  aroused  the  Regulars 
from  their  sleep,  and  this  perhaps  was  the  means  of  sav- 
ing our  lives  ;  for  a  few  minutes  had  hardly  elapsed,  when 
the  Indians  assaulted  our  camp  from  every  side.  But  we 
were  well  prepared  for  them  ;  and  after  vainly  waiting  for 
the  confusion  and  disorder  they  had  expected  when  they 
commenced  their  attack,  they  beat  a  hasty  retreat. 

"  As  the  sun  was  now  rising,  we  vigorously  pursued  the 
Indian  warriors.  We  killed  many,  and  some  we  made  pri- 
soners ;  then,  intoxicated  with  our  success,  we  determined 
to  set  fire  to  a  village,  a  few  miles  off,  to  which  some  Re- 
gulars, who  were  acquainted  with  the  country,  guided  us. 
After  accomplishing  our  purpose,  we  returned  to  camp, 
bringing  with  us  a  few  Indian  women  and  children  whom 
we  had  found  in  their  huts,  before  burning  them.  Among 
our  female  prisoners  was  a  young  girl  of  remarkable  beau- 
ty ;  and  when  it  was  known  she  could  speak  English,  she 
became  an  object  of  general  sympathy  and  interest.  When 
I  saw  her,  I  was  struck  with  her  resemblance  to  the  plan- 
ter's child  whom  his  slaves  had  abducted  years  before.  I 
spoke  to  her,  and  her  answers  left  no  doubt  in  my  mind 
that  the  stolen  Nelly  stood  before  me ;  and  when  I  pro- 
nounced that  name,  which  she  had  not  heard  for  so  long 
a  time,  she  wept  and  sobbed  bitterly.  Recollections  of 
her  childhood  came  back  fresh  to  her  mind,  and  she  seem- 
ed even  to  remember  having  seen  me  at  her  father's  plan- 
tation. I  gave  her  an  account  of  the  many  events  that  had 
occurred  since  her  abduction,  and  which  had  liberated  an 
oppressed  race,  but,  at  the  same  time,  had  brought  ruin  on 
her  family,  and  taken  from  this  world  most  of  her  relatives. 
A  friendship  soon  sprang  up  between  us ;  and  after  we 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  343 

had  crossed  the  plains,  Nelly  decided  to  come  to  New- 
York  with  me.  She  is  my  wife  to-day. 

"  The  remainder  of  my  adventures  may  now  be  summed 
up  in  a  few  words. 

"  I  purchased,  two  years  ago,  this  establishment,  which 
was  far  from  being  as  important  as  it  is  to-day.  I  sent  for 
the  colored  boys  who  were  employed  with  myself  in  the 
hair-dressing  saloon  at  Memphis  ;  and  they  are  not  the 
least  smart  among  the  hair-dressers  and  barbers,  fifty  in 
all,  I  keep  in  my  employ.  From  eight  o'clock  in  the 
morning  till  eight  in  the  evening,  as  many  as  one  thou- 
sand persons  come  here  to  have  their  faces  shaved  or  hair 
dressed.  I  have  been  able  to  repay  to  my  Yankee  bene- 
factor his  loan  ;  and  only  a  few  days  ago,  I  asked  his 
advice  concerning  the  project  I  have  formed  to  start,  in 
San  Francisco,  an  establishment  of  this  kind  and  on  as 
large  a  scale.  San  Francisco  will  be,  at  no  very  distant 
day,  as  important  a  financial  and  commercial  centre  for  the 
Pacific  coast  as  New-York  is  to-day  for  the  Atlantic  States- 
And  besides,  when  success  and  fortune  favor  an  Ameri- 
can, he  can  not  but  make  the  most  of  them." 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

TAKES  THE  READER  TO  A  PLACE  WHERE  THE  GODDESS 
FORTUNE  IS  DAILY  WORSHIPED,  AND,  AFTER  ASSIST- 
ING AT  A  CORONER'S  INQUEST,  TO  THE  HOUSE  OF  AN 

ARISTOCRATIC    FAMILY. 

}LBERT  concluded  the  story  of  his  adventures 
just  as  Asmodeus  was  released  from   the  bar- 
ber's hand.     We  then  resumed  our  way  to  the 
court-house,  and  arrived  long  before  the  sitting 
of  the  court. 

"  We  have  time  to  go,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  to  the  place 
where  they  worship  the  goddess  Fortune  in  New- York — I 
mean  the  Stock  Exchange.  From  the  society  of  a  pick- 
pocket to  that  of  a  stock-gambler,  the  transition  is  quite 
natural  and  the  change  of  company  imperceptible." 

So  we  started.  In  a  short  time  we  entered  a  large 
white  marble  building  of  somewhat  elaborate  workmanship. 
Its  elevation  seemed  to  me  too  great,  and  out  of  proportion 
with  the  size  of  the  whole  structure.  It  is  situated  in  one 
of  the  widest  streets  of  New-York,  and  stands  on  a  line 
with  other  edifices  in  its  neighborhood.  There  are  many 
handsome  buildings  in  New- York,  which  the  passer-by  fails 
to  observe  because  they  are  either  mingled  with  others  of 
common  appearance,  or  because  the  point  of  view  is  ob- 
structed by  more  pretentious  edifices.  The  ancient  Greeks, 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  345 

who  understood  architecture  and  perspective  so  well,  never 
failed  to  erect  their  temples  and  monuments  on  hills  or  ele- 
vated sites,  and  apart  from  other  structures.  The  churches 
in  New-York,  some  very  elegant,  are,  with  few  exceptions, 
erected  on  the  same  line  as  dwelling-houses,  which  gives  to 
these  temples  of  God  a  very  commonplace  appearance. 

Such  was  the  case  with  the  building  we  had  finally 
entered,  after  elbowing  our  way  through  a  crowd  of  specu- 
lators, who,  amid  frantic  cries  and  gesticulations,  were 
buying  and  selling  stock — in  short,  speculating  in  that 
commodity,  on  the  sidewalk.  An  immense  hall,  reach- 
ing from  street  to  street,  was  crowded  with  operators, 
who  were  constantly  sending  orders  to  stock  exchange 
brokers,  sitting  in  a  room,  in  the  upper  floor,  where  the 
public  was  not  admitted.  The  noise  and  confusion  were 
indescribable,  as  the  demands  and  offers  of  excited  specu- 
lators were  echoed  in  every  part  of  the  hall. 

"  Independently  of  this  Stock  Exchange  Board,"  said 
Asmodeus,  "  there  is  another  near  by,  a  rival  board,  where 
speculations  in  public  funds  and  other  securities  are  con- 
ducted, and  where  the  public  is  admitted,  thus  being  able 
to  have  their  orders  executed  in  their  presence.  On  the 
floor  above,  there  is  a  board,  where  mining,  petroleum,  and 
insurance  company  stocks  are  dealt  in  ;  and  there  is,  finally, 
in  the  next  building,  the  Gold  Room,  where  brokers  con- 
gregate to  sell  or  purchase  the  precious  metal ;  for  gold  is 
now  a  merchandise,  the  value  of  which  fluctuates  like  that 
of  other  goods.  On  seeing  the  many  places  where  stock- 
jobbers assemble,  one  would  believe  speculation  to  be  the 
general  calling  of  the  people ;  and  in  fact,  thousands  of 
persons,  from  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  to  a  late  hour  in 
the  evening,  devote  their  thoughts,  their  energy,  their  very 
existence  to  stock-gambling.  When,  at  five  o'clock  in  the 


346  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

afternoon,  the  speculators  with  whom  this  hall  and  the 
street  swarm  go  to  their  homes,  their  day's  work  is  not 
ended.  While  digesting  their  dinner,  they  gamble  up  to 
midnight,  in  the  rooms  of  our  fashionable  hotels.  The 
Gold  Room  is  a  favorite  resort  for  Jews,  who  flocked  to 
New  York  from  every  part  of  the  United  States,  as  soon  as 
the  Gold  Exchange  was  in  operation  ;  for  the  patriotism  of 
the  Jews  in  the  New  as  in  the  Old  World  dwells  only  in  their 
pocket,  and  their  country  is  that  place  where  they  can  make 
the  most  money.  They  have  been  often  suspected  of 
having  done  their  best  to  destroy  the  credit  of  the  Federal 
treasury  ;  and  they  often  use  the  transatlantic  telegraph 
with  dangerous  ability.  News  transmitted  by  them  to  the 
public  has  ruined  many  a  gullible  operator. 

"  Concerning  these  men  around  us,  speculators  or  stock- 
brokers, going  to  and  fro,  not  a  few  among  them  never 
shrink  from  the  most  villainous  ruses  to  draw  into  their 
pockets  the  money  of  the  public. 

"  That  young  fellow,  for  instance,  so  elegantly  dressed, 
and  who,  with  his  light  curly  hair,  rosy  cheeks,  and  pleasant 
smile,  looks  like  an  ingenuous  girl,  is  possessed  of  several 
houses  in  New- York,  and  drives  a  fine  team  in  Central 
Park  every  Saturday.  He  has  built  up  his  fortune  on  the 
ruin  of  many  a  family.  He  was  among  those  who,  a  few 
years  ago,  called  public  attention  to  the  gold  mines  of 
Nova  Scotia.  He  organized  a  company  for  the  purpose  of 
working  one  of  those  mines  ;  and,  after  a  few  weeks'  ex- 
istence, the  company  commenced  distributing  large  divi- 
dends. There  were,  in  its  office,  a  dozen  gold  bars, 
bearing  the  stamp  of  the  Nova  Scotia  mint,  and  purporting 
to  be  a  part  of  the  mining  proceeds  ;  and  as  dividends  were 
paid  regularly,  several  months  in  succession,  every  body 
believed  in  the  richness  of  the  mine  and  the  soundness  of 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  347 

the  enterprise.  Under  that  impression,  fifty  thousand 
shares,  of  ten  dollars  each,  were  sold  out  in  a  few  weeks. 
And  now,  the  scheme  having  succeeded,  the  company 
stopped  paying  dividends.  Some  shareholders  who  had  lost 
heavily  made  inquiry  respecting  this  unexpected  collapse, 
and  ascertained  that  the  mine  and  its  fabulous  wealth, 
also  the  gold  bars,  were  all  mere  fabrications.  A  lot  of 
American  eagles  had  been  sent  to  Halifax,  the  capital  of 
Nova  Scotia,  melted  there  into  bars,  and  returned  to  New- 
York,  bearing  the  stamp  of  the  mint  of  Nova  Scotia.  The 
fraud  was  so  well  devised,  it  was  really  difficult  to  detect 
it.  The  money  distributed  as  dividends  had  been  advan- 
ced by  some  confederates,  who  made  a  good  thing  out  of 
their  loan,  the  swindle  having  produced,  it  is  said,  a  net 
profit  of  over  three  hundred  thousand  dollars." 

"  And  the  originator  and  accomplices  of  that  swindle," 
did  they  escape  punishment  ?" 

"  Yes.  Any  action  against  wealthy  swindlers  requires  a 
large  outlay  ;  and  generally,  victimized  stockholders  pause 
before  adding  fees  for  greedy  lawyers  to  their  losses.  How- 
ever, the  success  of  the  Nova  Scotia  company  was  so  tempt- 
ing, it  found  numerous  imitators  ;  one  of  whom  I  notice 
in  that  stock-broker,  wearing  a  diamond  pin  worth  a  few 
thousand  dollars,  and  who  is  now  shaking  hands  with 
another  sharper.  About  two  years  ago,  he  purchased 
twenty  acres  of  land  in  a  Western  State,  and  commenced 
boring,  with  the  expectation  of  finding  oil.  They  had  gone 
to  the  depth  of  two  hundred  feet,  and,  to  the  dismay  of 
the  shareholders,  there  was  not  the  slightest  indication 
of  petroleum,  when,  all  at  once,  it  was  rumored  oil  had 
been  struck.  A  meeting  of  shareholders  was  immedi- 
ately convened,  and  a  committee  appointed  to  go  to  the 
West  and  report.  After  a  few  weeks,  the  committee 


348  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

made  known  the  result  of  its  investigation.  It  proved  to 
be  most  gratifying.  The  company's  well  yielded  in  abun- 
dance a  lubricating  oil,  specimens  of  which,  taken  out  by 
the  committee  itself,  were  triumphantly  exhibited  in  the 
company's  office.  Its  shares  went  up  immediately — every 
body  wanted  to  purchase  so  promising  a  stock.  Even 
Irish  servants  and  laborers  withdrew  their  money  from 
savings-banks,  to  invest  it  in  the  great  lubricating  oil  con- 
cern. The  excitement  had  hardly  subsided,  when  a  rumor 
began  to  spread  that  all  further  traces  of  oil  had  dis- 
appeared. And  such  was  the  case :  the  well  had  dried  up. 
In  reality,  oil  had  been  purchased  in  Pennsylvania,  carried 
secretly  to  the  West,  and  poured  into  the  well  by  discreet 
agents.  The  operation  yielded  considerable  sums  of 
money  to  the  master-spirit  of  it — yonder  broker — as  well  as 
his  confederates  of  the  shareholders'  committee. 

"  An  operation  quite  in  vogue  among  stock-jobbers  is 
what  they  call  a  '  corner.'  It  consists  in  secretly  holding, 
either  through  purchase  or  trust,  a  considerable  portion 
of  a  company's  stock,  and  then  purchasing  all  the  shares 
offered  for  sale.  Some  inexperienced  or  incautious  specu- 
lators sell,  on  time  and  at  the  buyer's  option,  more  stock 
than  they  possess,  and  then  they  are  pushed  into  a  '  corner ;' 
for  the  clique  makes  a  sudden  call  for  the  stock  it  has 
purchased,  and  compels  the  parties,  who  sold  it '  short,'  or 
without  owning  it,  to  buy  of  it  at  a  high  price,  in  order  to 
deliver  the  stock,  previously  sold  at  a  low  figure.  The 
operation  is  attended  with  multitudinous  risks  ;  and  mil- 
lions of  dollars  are  lost  and  won  in  that  way  every  year, 
the  losers  being  designated,  in  the  parlance  of  brokers, 
as  '  lame  ducks.'  " 

At  that  moment,  several  boys  began  shouting,  and  dis- 
tributing throughout  the  hall  the  prospectus  of  a  new  enter- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  349 

prise.  Brokers  and  operators  eagerly  seized  a  copy.  I 
did  like  the  others,  and  read  the  following : 

"  Wonders  never  cease  !  ! !  We  possess  gold  mines  rich 
enough  to  pay,  within  a  few  years,  the  debts  of  all  existing 
governments,  including  that  of  the  United  States.  The 
Rocky  Mountains  contain  in  their  mighty  recesses  silver 
enough  to  supply  with  argentiferous  rails  the  road  now 
building  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  coasts  !  !  We 
work  out,  by  the  healthful  light  of  the  sun,  inexhaustible 
mountains  of  coal,  unrivaled  in  quality  ;  while  the  mis- 
erable nations  of  Europe  are  compelled  to  extract  their  fuel 
from  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  at  a  depth  of  several  thousand 
feet — even  below  the  bed  of  the  ocean.  To  supply  with  a 
most  beautiful  and  economical  light  our  cities  and  dwel- 
lings, we  had  but  to  bore  a  few  holes  in  the  soil  of  two  or 
three  States  ;  and  behold  !  we  to-day  announce  to  the 
whole  world  a  discovery  that  exceeds  the  most  extravagant 
dreams  of  modern  novelists  and  the  most  wonderful  fancies 
of  the  Arabian  Nights'  tales. 

"  In  the  State  of  Humbuggia,  while  cutting  through  a 
hill,  which  the  railroad  connecting  Humbuggia  with  the 
other  stars  of  the  American  constellation  will  traverse, 
some  workmen  struck  a  never-failing  spring  of  milk,  of 
exquisite  flavor  and  taste.  This  phenomenon  was  ex- 
plained when  the  workmen,  cutting  still  deeper,  arrived  at 
immense  deposits  of  petrified  butter  and  honey.  These 
products,  buried  to  a  great  depth,  no  doubt  for  centuries, 
have  retained  their  original  flavor  and  resume  a  golden 
hue  after  being  exposed  to  the  air  a  few  moments.  The 
celebrated  Professor  Sillyman  has  just  completed  a  report 
on  this  prodigious  discovery,  which  report  is  approved  by 
a  committee  of  geologists  and  other  learned  gentlemen, 
who  have  flocked  to  Humbuggia  from  every  part  of  the 


3  $o  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

Union  ;  and  in  which  it  is  demonstrated  beyond  cavil  that 
those  inexhaustible  deposits  of  butter  and  honey  have 
been  heaped  up  (in  prevision  of  events,  the  real  character 
of  which,  at  this  distant  date,  can  not  be  safely  ascertained) 
by  a  race  of  men  of  stupendous  strength,  probably  giants, 
who  lived  before  the  flood.  The  great  bankers,  Gullying 
and  Company,  whose  name  is  a  tower  of  strength,  after 
examining  all  the  particulars  of  the  enterprise,  have  read- 
ily-assented to  place  forty  thousand  shares,  of  fifty_  dollars 
each,  of  the  company,  (organized  under  the  State  laws,) 
for  the  purpose  of  working  out  these  deposits  of  incalcu- 
lable wealth,  whose  discovery,  at  this  time,  must  be  attri- 
buted to  an  ever-benevolent  Providence  !  The  subscription 
to  the  capital  stock  of  the  Condensed  Milk,  Honey,  and 
Butter  Company  will  be  opened  to-day,  at  noon,  at  the 
office  of  the  afore-mentioned  eminent  firm." 

As  the  time  for  the  opening  of  the  subscription  had 
nearly  arrived,  the  crowd,  after  reading  this  astounding 
prospectus,  hurried  out  of  the  hall.  We  followed,  and 
saw  it  hastening  to  the  great  banking-house  of  Messrs. 
Gullying  and  Company. 

"  Come  on !  come  on !"  vociferated  one  of  the  clerks, 
standing  on  the  stoop  of  the  building.  "  Come  on  !  twenty 
thousand  shares  have  been  already  taken  up  by  our 
friends !  The  proprietors  of  the  deposits  could  have  form- 
ed three  companies  out  of  them — one  for  the  milk,  one  for 
the  honey,  and  the  other  for  the  butter.  But  they  aspire 
to  be  benefactors  to  their  countrymen,  and  sacrifice  their 
own  interest  to  the  public  welfare  !  Hurry  up  !  hurry  up ! 
Within  ten  minutes  all  the  stock  will  be  disposed  of,  and 
you  will  lose  an  opportunity  to  make  a  fortune  at  a 
bound !" 

"  I  will  take  one  hundred  shares !"    exclaimed  one  of 


Asmodens  in  New -York.  351 

the  bystanders.  "  I  will  take  two  hundred !"  said 
another.  "  Three  hundred  !"  "  Five  hundred  !"  vocifera- 
ted others.  The  would-be  stockholders  crowded  around 
the  office,  where  two  persons  only  were  admitted  at  once, 
to  avoid  disorder.  As  they-  emerged  from  it,  after  depo- 
siting their  money,  they  held  up  in  a  triumphant  manner 
a  slip  of  paper. 

"  Do  not  believe,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  that  these  men  who 
seem  so  eager  to  subscribe  to  the  stock  have  the  slightest 
confidence  in  the  success  of  the  enterprise.  None  con- 
siders he  has  made  a  sound  investment,  and  most  of  them 
will  get  rid  of  their  certificates  of  stock  before  night.  The 
last  holder  of  those  worthless  bits  of  paper  is  infallibly  the 
loser ;  and  the  great  point,  in  the  emission  of  such  fictitious 
values,  is  not  to  be  the  last  holder." 

Asmodeus's  observation  was  justified  by  the  event.  As 
soon  as  the  clerk,  who  kept  up  the  enthusiasm,  notified 
the  crowd  that  the  forty  thousand  shares  had  been  taken 
up  and  the  subscription-book  was  closed,  a  tremendous 
excitement  at  once  occurred  among  the  stock-gamblers 
standing  in  front  of  Messrs.  Gullying  and  Co.'s  office. 

"  I  will  sell  at  ten  percent  premium  !"  said  one.  "  Sold  !" 
exclaimed  another.  "  At  fifteen  per  cent  premium  !" 
"  Sold  !  sold  !"  rejoined  the  same  purchaser.  The  bid- 
dings warmed  up ;  and  before  we  went  away,  the  stock  of 
the  Condensed  Milk,  Honey,  and  Butter  Company  was  at 
fifty  per  cent  premium  ! 

We  now  retraced  our  steps  to  the  court-house.  The 
case  of  the  young  girl  had  not  yet  come  on,  and  a  soli- 
tary judge  was  rendering  a  decision  on  wills  and  legacies. 

"  The  American,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  generally  makes 
his  own  will.  The  principle  of  liberty,  which  stamps  it- 
self on  every  thing  in  the  United  States,  could  not  fail  to 


352  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

exert  its  wonted  influence  in  the  grave  matter  of  inherit- 
ance and  succession.  Disposing,  while  living,  of  his  pro- 
perty as  he  pleases,  the  American  believes  he  has  the 
right  to  dispose  of  it  in  case  of  his  death.  His  free  will 
as  a  monument  of  the  immortality  of  his  soul,  survives  him 
after  he  leaves  this  world.  The  validity  of  his  testament 
and  the  last  manifestation  of  his  free  will  are  seldom 
questioned,  except  in  case  of  insanity. 

."The  law  neither  ascribes  an  equal  portion  nor  a  reser- 
vation to  children  ;  and  a  father  leaves  them  such  shares 
of  his  fortune  as. he  deems  proper.  A  New- York  merchant 
worth  seven  millions  of  dollars,  died  a  few  years  ago,  leav- 
ing several  children,  among  whom  was  a  daughter,  who 
had  married  contrary  to  her  father's  desire.  He  deprived 
her  of  any  inheritance ;  and  though  the  victim  of  a  resent- 
ment which  the  approach  of  death  could  not  appease 
was  the  object  of  general  sympathy,  her  father's  testament 
was  not  questioned. 

"  In  fact,  the  right  of  making  one's  own  will  being  ad- 
mitted, no  limit,  as  a  logical  sequence,  can  be  put  to  it. 
From  another  point  of  view,  it  is  obvious  the  power  vested 
in  fathers  to  dispose  of  their  property,  without  limitation 
or  reservation,  strengthens  family  ties  instead  of  weaken- 
ing them.  Children  behave  well  toward  parents,  and 
cheerfully  perform  the  duties  nature  requires  of  them,  be- 
cause they  are  aware  their  father  might  punish  their  ill- 
behavior  by  excluding  them  from  his  inheritance.  For- 
tune and  succession  hunting,  though  a  thing  not  absolutely 
unknown  in  the  United  States,  is  far  from  being  as  com- 
mon as  in  Europe. 

"  Wealthy  persons  often  bequeath  a  portion  of  their 
money  to  benevolent  institutions  ;  and  their  natural  heirs 
do  not  complain,  as  it  is  a  general  creed  that  a  man  who 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  353 

has  accumulated  a  fortune  has  the  right  to  dispose  of  it 
as  he  likes.  Another  thing  is  worth  observing  :  sons  do 
not  selfishly  long  for  the  death  of  their  fathers,  as  the  law 
does  not  allow  them  a  reserved  portion ;  and  instead  of 
awaiting  a  fortune  from  an  inheritance,  they  strive  to  make 
one  themselves.  Besides,  the  fluctuations  of  life  are  so 
frequent  in  the  United  States,  that  any  dependence  upon 
a  millionaire's  succession  would  often  prove  delusive.  The 
American  enjoys  no  rest  until  he  breathes  his  last,  and 
never  thinks  of  retiring  from  business.  Then,  what  a  folly 
to  wait  to  build  a  fortune  upon  the  inheritance  of  a  man 
who  perhaps  may  die  penniless  ! 

"  Successions  and  legacies  are,  in  Europe,  the  source 
of  many  a  base  transaction,  and,  perhaps,  of  many  a 
crime.  Unprejudiced  minds  have  regarded  the  portion 
allowed  by  law  to  children  as  an  outrage  on  paternal  right 
and  morality.  And  in  the  matter  of  succession,  as  in  that 
of  marriage  and  marriage  portions,  the  American  demo- 
cracy teaches  the  Old  World  some  valuable  lessons. 
Young  men  who  have  not  desecrated  the  solemn  compact 
of  marriage  by  making  of  it  a  mercantile  transaction,  do 
not  wait  in  shameful  idleness  for  the  death  of  their  parents. 
Thus  labor  becomes  a  wholesome  necessity  for  every  body 
— for  wealthy  as  well  as  for  poor  people's  sons.  As  a 
consequence,  in  the  Northern  States,  labor  is  held  in  such 
high  esteem  that  men  feel  uneasy  when  they  have  no  re- 
gular business  to  employ  their  minds.  Public  opinion  is 
so  strong  in  that  respect,  that  they  rent  an  office,  even 
when  they  have  no  business  to  transact,  for  fear  of  show- 
ing, by  their  idleness,  a  bad  example  to  their  children,  and 
being  charged  with  wasting  in  leisure  a  useless  life." 

Asmodeus  was  here  interrupted  by  the  court  magistrates 
and  jurors  entering  the  room.  And  now  the  criminal  case 


354  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

was  called  up.  The  young  girl  to  be  sentenced  was 
brought  in  by  one  of  the  prison-keepers  ;  and  in  the  midst 
of  a  solemn  silence,  the  presiding  judge  began  a  lengthy 
speech.  He  minutely  summed  up  all  the  incidents  of  the 
case,  and  concluded  by  saying  that,  the  jurors  having  re- 
turned a  verdict  of  guilty,  a  painful  duty  devolved  upon 
him — that  of  sentencing  to  death  the  convicted  prisoner. 
The  speech,  which  lasted  nearly  an  hour,  ended  amid  sobs 
and  every  demonstration  of  genuine  grief. 

I  asked  Asmodeus  whether  it  was  customary  to  deliver 
so  prolix  a  harangue  to  prisoners  before  sentencing  them. 
Asmodeus  answered  affirmatively,  adding : 

"  The  passion  for  speech-making  and  playing  the  orator 
is  so  general,  the  Americans  seize  upon  every  occasion, 
even  a  solemn  one,  to  gratify  that  immoderate  passion. 
Most  of  the  officers  of  the  law  being  politicians,  they  de-' 
light,  on  every  convenient  occasion,  to  show  the  public  they 
have  lost  none  of  their  eloquence  since  they  commenced  to 
administer  justice  and  decide  controversies.  But  it  may 
be  doubted  whether  the  custom  of  addressing  prisoners 
enhances  the  prestige  and  majesty  of  the  law.  The  taste 
and  sense  of  the  orators,  on  these  solemn  occasions,  are 
not  always  above  criticism  ;  and  it  would  often  be  praise- 
worthy were  magistrates  to  confine  themselves  simply  to 
applying  the  law." 

When  the  keeper  was  on  the  point  of  removing  the 
sentenced  girl  to  prison,  I  noticed  that  many  persons  pre- 
sented her  with  books,  newspapers,  linen,  flowers,  and 
dainties.  "The  Americans  are  emphatically  a  good- 
hearted  people,"  said  Asmodeus.  "  Those  persons  wish 
to  comfort  as  much  as  possible  that  unfortunate  girl,  who 
will  not  be  in  need  of  any  thing  while  detained  in  custody. 
There  is  little  probability,  however,  of  the  death-sentence 


Asmodcus  in  New -York.  355 

being  carried  into  effect.  Not  half-a-dozen  women  have 
been  hanged  since  the  beginning  of  this  century,  and  the 
State  governor  will  certainly  commute  her  sentence." 

We  left  the  court-room,  expecting  to  have  nothing  more 
to  do  that  day  with  the  judiciary ;  but  hardly  had  we  step- 
ped into  the  street,  when  we  jostled  against  a  corpulent 
man,  with  a  ruddy  face,  who  seemed  to  be  in  a  hurry. 

"  Halloo  !  Coroner  Sharp,  where  are  you  going  in  such 
haste  ?"  said  Asmodeus,  who  positively  knows  every  body 
in  town.  "  To  hold  an  inquest  on  Dr.  Clever,  who  was 
found  dead  this  morning  in  his  office,"  replied  the  officer 
of  the  law  ;  "  and,  if  you  say  so,  I  will  take  you  along 
with  me,  to  serve  on  the  jury." 

My  companion  assenting,  I  followed  him,  and  we  soon 
arrived  at  a  house  situated  in  a  fashionable  street  of  the 
city.  Friends  of  the  doctor  and  persons  attracted  by  a 
morbid  curiosity  were  standing  in  front  of  the  dwelling, 
and  made  way  for  us,  when  the  coroner's  business  was 
known.  We  went  into  a  room  situated  on  the  first  floor — 
it  was  Dr.  Clever's  office.  The  shutters  were  so  tightly 
closed  that  I  could  hardly  discern  the  dead  body  of  the 
doctor,  which  was  lying  on  a  sofa  in  a  corner  of  the  room. 
A  lady  was  kneeling  beside  it,  weeping  and  sobbing. 
When  a  servant,  at  the  coroner's  command,  opened  the 
shutters,  and  daylight  dispelled  the  darkness  of  the  room, 
I  recognized  in  the  kneeling  woman  the  visitor  who  had 
asked  Mrs.  Smart,  the  day  before,  her  advice  and  prognos- 
tications concerning  her  intended  marriage,  and  whose  ill- 
looks,  according  to  the  pythoness,  boded  no  good.  The 
coroner  now  went  out  on  the  stoop,  and  inquired  whether 
there  were  among  the  crowd  any  persons  qualified  to  serve 
as  jurors.  Eleven  of  them  having  answered  affirmatively — 
for  Asmodeus  made  up  the  required  twelve — "Come  in, 


356  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

then,"  said  the  officer  of  the  law ;  "  we  will  at  once  com- 
mence our  inquest  into  the  causes  of  the  doctor's  death." 

While  servants  stripped  the  dead  body,  and  a  physician, 
among  the  persons  present,  volunteered  to  make  a  post- 
mortem examination,  the  coroner  took  the  testimony  of 
several  persons.  The  first  heard  was  the  woman,  who 
continued  sobbing  near  the  sofa.  She  declared  her 
business  was  that  of  keeping  a  boarding-house ;  that  Dr. 
Clever  had  boarded  with  her  but  a  few  months  ;  that  won- 
dering why  he  did  not  come  down  at  his  usual'  time  for 
breakfast,  she  had  gone  up  to  his  room,  and,  to  her  utter 
consternation  and  horror,  found  him  lying  in  a  pool  of 
blood  and  already  a  corpse.  Alarmed  at  this  discovery,  she 
had  aroused  the  other  inmates  of  the  house,  and  sent  imme- 
diately for  the  coroner.  The  latter  heard  successively  all 
the  boarders.  But  none  gave  any  information  concerning 
either  the  circumstances  or  the  authors  of  the  murder, 
which  looked  very  like  a  domestic  drama,  when  the  physi- 
cian, having  examined  the  victim's  body,  stated  that  Dr. 
Clever  had  been  stabbed  in  twenty-two  different  places,  the 
said  stabs- and  consequent  loss  of  blood  having  caused  his 
death. 

"That  murder  is  a  woman's  work,"  sternly  remarked 
Asmodeus,  who  was,  as  I  have  said,  one  of  the  jury.  "  A 
man  stabs  once  or  twice,  and  the  bloody  work  is  done ; 
but  a  woman  mangles  her  victim — she  strikes  at  random 
— especially  if  she  be  infuriated  and  blinded  by  passion. 
Is  not  this  your  opinion,  Mrs.  Cunning  ?"  he  added,  turn- 
ing to  the  boarding-house  keeper. 

But  the  coroner  silenced  Asmodeus,  observing  that  the 
right  to  ask  questions  devolved  upon  himself  alone.  Then 
the  boarders  having  stated  that  each  of  them  had  a  latch- 
key, and  consequently  could  come  in  and  go  out  at  any 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  357 

hour  of  the  day  or  night,  the  coroner  remarked  that  near- 
ly all  New- York  dwelling-houses  are  built  upon  the  same 
plan,  and  externally  resemble  each  other. 

"  One  day,"  said  he,  "  or  rather,  one  night,  after  partak- 
ing of  a  dinner,  given  me  by  my  political  friends,  to  cele- 
brate my  election,  I  mistook  another  door  for  mine,  and 
opened  with  my  latch-key  that  of  the  next  house.  I  dis- 
covered my  mistake  just  as  I  was  on  the  point  of  glid- 
ing into  the  bed  of  my  neighbor,  who  slept  soundly  by  the 
side  of  his  wife." 

At  these  last  words,  the  company  burst  out  laughing,  in 
spite  of  the  solemn  occasion  and  the  proximity  of  Dr. 
Clever's  mangled  body.  Then  the  coroner  requested  the 
jury  to  withdraw  into  one  of  the  parlors,  and  to  return  a 
verdict.  One  of  the  juryman  asked  whether  it  would  not 
be  proper  to  adjourn  the  inquest  to  the  next  day. 

"  No  need  of  it,"  answered  the  coroner.  "  You  have 
heard  the  testimony  of  all  the  inmates  of  the  house ;  and 
there  is  not  the  slightest  possibility  on  earth  we  shall  ob- 
tain any  further  information  concerning  this  mysterious 
murder." 

Thereupon  the  jurors  retired,  and,  after  a  few  minutes' 
deliberation,  brought  in  a  verdict,  by  which  they  declared 
that  Dr.  Clever  had  died,  according  to  the  best  of  their 
knowledge  and  belief,  from  wounds  inflicted  by  a  sharp 
weapon,  either  a  knife  or  dagger,  and  that  the  author  or 
authors  of  the  bloody  deed  were  unknown  to  the  jury.  The 
coroner  thanked  them  for  the  remarkable  sagacity  and 
high  sense  of  duty  they  had  exhibited,  and  discharged 
them  from  further  attendance.  Mrs.  Cunning,  who  had 
fainted  several  times  during  the  inquest,  then  made  known 
her  intention  to  have  her  unfortunate  boarder  decently 
buried ;  and  every  body  left  the  house. 


358  Asmodetis  in  New -York. 

"  This  is  a  queer  way,"  said  I  to  Asmodeus,  "  to  conduct 
an  inquest  and  investigate  a  case  of  murder." 

"  Do  you  not  remember  I  once  told  you  that  many  offi- 
cers of  the  law,  though  their  salary  amounts  to  only  four 
thousand  dollars  per  annum,  and  sometimes  even  less,  find 
means,  notwithstanding,  to  have  a  bank  account  of  fifty 
thousand  dollars,  when,  after  four  years,  their  term  of  office 
expires  ?  Mrs.  Cunning  belongs  to  a  family  of  good  stand- 
ing, and  as  she  found  in  the  doctor's  desk  a  quantity  of 
bank-bills,  many  of  them,  I  apprehend,  are  actually  in 
the  pocket  of  the  jolly  coroner,  whose  inquest  would  have 
been  carried  on  differently  had  the  murder  been  commit- 
ted by  a  poor  girl,  without  money  or  friends,  like  the  one 
sentenced  this  morning  to  be  hanged." 

Night  had  approached,  and  Asmodeus  remembered  he 
was  invited  to  a  soiree,  to  take  place  that  very  evening,  at' 
the  house  of  one  of  the  most  aristocratic  families  of  New- 
York — a  family  of  Bourbons,  as  he  facetiously  remarked. 

"  Let  us  go  and  spend  a  few  hours  there,"  said  he.  "  We 
have  need  to  move  in  a  less  gloomy  atmosphere  than  that 
of  the  house  we  have  just  left ;  though,  to  tell  you  the  truth, 
the  persons  to  whom  I  shall  introduce  you  are  not  conspi- 
cuous for  the  sprightliness  and  witty  turn  of  their  minds." 

We  soon  reached  the  house,  and  were  inducted  into  a 
spacious  parlor  of  oblong  shape,  in  which  were,  as  yet,  but 
a  few  guests.  The  furniture  was  not  as  stylish  as  that 
seen  nowadays  among  the  rich. 

"The  New- York  ladies,"  said  Asmodeus,  "want  new 
furniture  every  five  years.  As  a  consequence,  it  is  made 
in  a  hurry,  of  showy  materials,  and  lacks  durability.  The 
same  is  true  of  New- York  dwellings — they  are  built  exclu- 
sively according  to  the  taste  and  conveniencies  of  the  day. 
The  American  does  not  think  of  erecting  a  dwelling  for  fu- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  359 

ture  generations,  as  in  Europe.  He  builds  it  for  himself, 
and  according  to  his  own  fancy.  The  plan  he  has  adopted 
and  the  internal  arrangements  of  his  mansion,  which  suit 
him,  might  perhaps  displease  his  children  ;  yet,  by  building 
a  house  with  strong  and  lasting  materials,  he  would,  in  a 
measure,  encroach  on  their  liberty.  In  fact,  many  sons  often 
rebuild  the  paternal  mansion  to  fit  it  agreeably  to  the  pre- 
vailing fashion  ;  and  that  love  of  change  and  improvement, 
coupled  with  the  necessity  of  erecting  new  edifices  in  place 
of  those  destroyed  by  fire,  explains  why  our  streets  are 
generally  topsy-turvy  and  their  circulation  impeded  by 
piles  of  dirt." 

Meanwhile,  the  parlors  were  fast  filling,  most  of  the 
guests  being  officers  of  the  army  and  navy,  high  functiona- 
ries of  the  Federal  administration,  and  some  distinguished 
foreigners.  With  the  exception  of  a  few  steamship  and 
railroad  directors,  commerce  and  industry  had  few  repre- 
sentatives— though  the  grandfather  of  the  lady  of  the 
house,  according  to  Asmodeus,  had  accumulated  much 
money  in  mercantile  pursuits.  In  fact,  hanging  in  one  of 
the  parlors,  could  be  seen  the  portrait  of  an  old  gentle- 
man, wearing  a  wig,  as  was  the  fashion  in  the  last  century. 
At  the  foot  of  the  picture  was  the  following  inscription  : 

"  Van  Oldscamp,  Member  of  the  Chamber"  of  Commerce, 
New- York,  1770." 

"  There  is  incontestably,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  among  the 
countrymen  of  Washington,  a  morbid  taste  for  distinction — 
a  craving  for  aristocratic  titles.  If  you  listen  to  the  guests, 
you  will  notice  they  call  each  other  either  general,  colonel, 
or  commodore.  The  truth  is,  that  among  the  officers  of  the 
army  and  navy  actually  here,  few,  very  few  hold  those 
ranks.  As  they  belong  to  some  yachting-club  or  militia 


360  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

regiment  in  which  high-sounding  titles  abound,  they  glo- 
ry in  these  glittering  distinctions,  which,  after  all,  open 
to  them  many  a  house  in  Europe,  where  such  deceits  of 
American  vanity  are  little  suspected.  Perhaps  you  have 
also  noticed  that  public  functionaries  form  an  important 
part  of  the  assemblage.  In  Europe,  the  aristocracy,  espe- 
cially during  the  past  fifty  years,  has  monopolized  public 
offices.  Hence  the  reason,  to  some  extent,  of  that  reve- 
rence shown  by  the  masses  for  government  officers.  Here 
they  do  not,  as  yet,  form  a  distinct  class,  and  have  not  the 
influence  they  enjoy  in  the  Old  World.  The  main  reason 
of  the  difference  is,  there  is  no  permanency  or  stability  in 
the  condition  of  public  officers.  Every  new  President  re- 
moves all  those  he  finds  in  office,  and  appoints  his  friends 
and  partisans  in  their  stead.  Still,  that '  clean  sweep,'  as 
the  operation  is  termed,  does  not  include  the  officers  of  the 
army  and  navy,  who  have  been  educated,  in  general,  at  the 
Government's  expense.  They  retain  their  situation  and 
military  rank,  notwithstanding  all  presidential  changes  ; 
and  thus  form  the  only  class  in  the  country  that  may  boast 
of  some  stability.  Besides,  they  are  men  of  more  refined 
education  than  the  majority  of  their  countrymen.  Hence 
the  aristocratic  pretensions  not  a  few  assume,  and  their  un- 
disguised contempt  for  the  mass  of  the  people.  Though 
devoted  to  their  country,  I  suspect  the  army  and  navy  do 
not  entertain  an  unbounded  enthusiasm  for  democratic 
institutions.  Some  officers  offered  the  crown  to  the  modest 
Washington,  which  offer  he  resented  as  an  insult.  But 
should  the  standing  army  of  the  United  States  at  any  time 
become  more  numerous  than  it  is  to-day,  I  draw  this  con- 
clusion from  that  recollection  of  the  past — democratic  in- 
stitutions would  find  in  it,  as  in  Europe,  a  dangerous  ene- 
my. 


Asmodeus  in  New -York,  361 

"  There,  for  instance,  is  an  admiral,  whose  name  has 
been  made  illustrious  by  his  grandfather,  who  was  an  ad- 
miral in  the  Revolutionary  War ;  his  father  was  also  an 
admiral ;  in  short,  this  dignity  is  transmitted  from  father 
to  son  in  that  family,  and  consequently  its  aristocratic 
aspirations  increase  from  generation  to  generation.  That 
general  who  is  conversing  with  him  has  written  his  name 
on  the  scroll  of  fame.  He  is  possessed  of  the  rare  gift  of 
reticence,  or  of  uttering  words,  when  condescending  to 
speak,  which  have  little  meaning  ;  hence  his  reputation 
for  being  a  profound  statesman  no  less  than  a  good  gene- 
ral. He  is  a  graduate  of  West-Point,  a  military  school 
where  young  men  are  submitted  to  a  discipline  somewhat 
at  variance  with  the  general  habits  and  tendencies  of  the 
people. 

"  The  gentleman  who  is  now  shaking  hands  with  the 
general,  and  who  will,  undoubtedly,  try  to  'pump'  him  con- 
cerning his  political  opinions,  is  one  of  the  few  merchants 
and  bankers  admitted  into  this  aristocratic  society,  and  he 
is  indebted  for  that  privilege  to  his  wealth,  which  is  large, 
though  but  recently  accumulated.  He  acquired  it  through 
stock-gambling,  and  is  one  of  those  financiers  who,  when 
the  Federal  Government  wanted  to  borrow  money  for  the 
maintenance  of  its  large  armies,  proclaimed,  through  the 
thousand  organs  of  the  Press,  that  the  more  a  nation  in- 
creases her  debt,  the  richer  she  becomes !  That  new 
principle  of  political  economy  was  not  certainly  a  sophism, 
so  far  as  concerns  the  banker.  He  has  just  constructed 
a  palatial  residence,  where  over  five  hundred  guests  may 
find  comfortable  accommodation.  There  is  in  that  resi- 
dence an  ancestors'  gallery,  consisting  of  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  portraits  in  oil,  purchased  at  random  in 
Paris  and  London.  Our  stock-jobber  has  so  often  pa- 


362  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

raded  these  paintings  as  family  portraits,  that  he  is  now 
firmly  convinced  every  one  of  them  represents  one  of  his 
ancestors — though  they  are,  for  the  most  part,  old  Dutch 
burgomasters." 

We  now  made  our  way  to  the  lady  of  the  house,  to  whom 
Asmodeus  introduced  me. 

"  How  happy  you  must  be,"  said  she,  after  the  usual 
ceremonies,  "  to  have  resided  in  la  belle  France !  When 
I  visit  that  country,  I  can  not  help  admiring  the  respect  the 
people  entertain  for  their  rulers.  Here  it  is  just  the  con- 
trary. Respect  for  services  rendered  to  the  country,  for 
traditions,  for  our  standing  in  society,  exists  nowhere. 
There  is  no  distinction,  no  caste — in  short,  to  speak  to 
the  point,  no  common  people  at  all.  Every  body  dresses 
alike,  and  I  may  not  be  distinguished  from  my  cook  when, 
her  work  over,  she  takes  a  promenade  through  the  streets. 
Ah !  how  many  times  have  I  wished  that  the  United  States 
contained  such  a  class  of  rustics  as  that  to  be  met  with  in 
France,  and  whose  dress  and  habits  are  to-day  exactly  as 
they  were  eighteen  hundred  years  ago  !  How  quaint,  how 
charming  are  the  country  women,  with  their  caps  of  so 
many  and  whimsical  shapes !  And  the  men,  wearing 
blouses  and  wooden  shoes!  How  prompt  they  are  to 
guess  our  rank,  and  to  bow  respectfully  as  we  pass  by ! 
Alas  !  there  is  nothing  of  that  kind  here.  During  my  last 
visit  to  Europe,"  pursued  the  lady,  "  I  spent  eight  days  at 
the  country-seat  of  the  Countess  of  Strass.  At  church,  we 
sat  in  a  separate  pew ;  the  priest  offered  us  holy  water, 
and  young  girls  and  little  children,  on  our  leaving  the 
sanctuary,  kissed  our  hands.  In  England,  at  the  manor 
of  my  friend,  the  Marchioness  of  Fairrags,  I  was  the  ob- 
ject of  the  same  reverence  and  homage  from  the  country 
folks.  When  I  travel  in  Europe,  I  feel  loth  to  confess  I 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  363 

am  a  native  of  America — a  country  where  public  offices 
are  within  the  reach  of  every  body ;  where  a  mechanic 
may  become  the  supreme  magistrate  of  the  land — in  short, 
a  country  of  upstarts." 

"I  admit,"  said  Asmodeus,  "that  the  United  States 
are,  in  many  respects,  the  antipodes  of  Europe.  We  en- 
joy, in  the  fall,  a  temperature  experienced  there  in  the 
spring ;  east  winds  bring  with  them  rain  and  dampness, 
instead  of  dryness,  to  the  atmosphere,  as  in  Europe.  The 
sky  here  is  never  so  lovely  as  in  winter,  and  the  snowy 
season  is  one  of  carnival  and  pleasure  to  the  inhabitants 
of  both  city  and  country.  The  States'  heaviest  expendi- 
ture is  for  educational  purposes ;  while  in  Europe,  it  is  for 
the  maintenance  of  large  armies.  We  appreciate  self- 
made  men  more, than  scions  of  ancient  and  wealthy  fami- 
lies. All  our  women  are  queens — at  least  they  have  an 
undisputed  sway  over  men,  whom  they  try  to  convince  that 
extravagance  in  dress  is  conducive  to  general  prosperity. 
I  do  not  pretend  to  say  that  commerce  and  industry  would 
languish  and  all  progress  cease,  should  notions  of  economy 
prevail  here  as  in  Europe ;  still,  I  would  rather  see  our 
women  decked  in  silks  and  velvets  than  in  coarse  cloths, 
and  their  husbands  wearing  well-cut  coats  than  the  Celt's 
smock-frock !" 

"  Ah  sir !"  said  the  lady,  "  I  had  been  told,  but  could 
not  believe  it,  that  you  were  a  warm  friend  to  and  admirer 
of  the  United  States  !" 

"  Madame,"  answered  my  companion,  "  I  am  far  from 
admiring  every  thing ;  for  I  find  fault  with  many  things. 
But,  on  calm  consideration,  whoever  has  traveled  through- 
out the  world  must  agree  with  me  that  man  is  better  fed 
here,  better  clothed,  better  housed,  and  better  paid  than 
in  any  other  country.  Whatever  be  the  cause  of  this — 


364  Asmodeus  in  New  -  York. 

whether  the  disposition  and  habits  of  the  Americans,  their 
institutions,  or  the  rich  continent  they  inhabit — it  is  an 
undeniable  fact,  sufficient  to  justify  my  preference  for  the 
United  States.  And  the  greatest  compliment  you  ever 
paid  it  was  when  you  pointed  out  this  favored  land  as  a 
country  of  upstarts.  Every  one  of  us-  strives  to  rise  to 
wealth,  power,  and  distinction ;  and  when  we  have  suc- 
ceeded in  our  endeavors,  is  it  just  to  stigmatize  a  country 
where  the  energy  of  its  men  is  more  surely  and  promptly 
rewarded  than  in  any  other  ?" 

"  Give  me  your  hand,  my  dear  sir,"  said  the  lady,  at 
the  last  words  of  Asmodeus.  "  You  know  well  "our  weak 
points.  We  Americans  are  apt  to  find  fault  with  every 
thing  pertaining  to  our  country,  our  morals,  our  institu- 
tions. When  foreigners  do  the  same,  we  impatiently  bear 
their  criticism.  But  we  are  always  grateful  for  their  eulo- 
gies— even  when  they  contradict  our  notions  and  ideas." 

While  Asmodeus  was  conversing  with  the  lady,  some 
young  officers  had  drawn  near  and  listened  attentively. 

"  Then  you  believe,"  said  one  of  these  to  my  friend,  "  in 
the  destinies  of  the  American  Republic  ?" 

"  Unless  blind,"  answered  Asmodeus,  "  or  unable  to 
understand  the  great  events  which  have  occurred  in  the 
history  of  this  country  since  the  beginning  of  this  century, 
we  must  admit  a  mighty  mission  has  devolved  upon  the 
American  people — that  of  expanding  throughout  the  vast 
continent  of  North- America  the  institutions  of  an  enlight- 
ened society,  of  religion,  charity,  art,  and  education — in 
short,  all  the  blessings  of  an  advanced  civilization — of 
carrying  them,  ere  long,  even  to  the  West-Indies,  and  the 
group  of  islands  scattered  throughout  the  Pacific  Ocean. 
As  one  of  the  most  gifted  sons  of  Massachusetts  said,  a 
few  years  ago,  '  The  pioneers  are  already  on  their  inarch, 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  365 

and  who  can  tell  how  rapid  it  will  be ;  where  and  when  their 
onward  course  will  stop?  Who  would  dare  to  lift  the  cur- 
tain which  conceals  the  varied  events  of  future  centuries  ? 
The  Turkish  empire,  pitched  for  four  hundred  years  on 
the  borders  of  Europe,  and  the  Chinese  monarchy,  co- 
temporaneous  with  David  and  Solomon,  are  crumbling 
into  dust.  Europe  is  exhausting  her  vitality  and  strength 
in  mean  rivalries  ;  and  the  political  life  of  the  world  seems 
really  to  advance  toward  a  new  hemisphere.  The  busi- 
ness and  duty  of  the  American  Republic  will  be  to  settle 
the  future  condition  of  existence  of  that  hemisphere's  mil- 
lions and  millions  of  inhabitants  ;  and  the  world  will  be- 
hold, at  a  no  distant  day,  a  confederacy  of  free  states,  more 
powerful  than  ever  was  the  Roman  empire  !" 

The  auditors  could  not  refrain  from  warmly  applauding 
Asmodeus,  who  politely  bowed  at  the  compliment ;  and 
shortly  after,  we  took  our  departure.  When  in  the  street, 
and  while  I  was  congratulating  my  companion  on  his  bril- 
liant sketch  of  America's  destiny,  a  beggar  approached 
and  asked  us  for  alms. 

"  This  time,  Marquis,"  said  Asmodeus,  "  I  catch  you  in 
flagrante  delicto;  and  to  punish  you,  I  shall  relate  your  his- 
tory to  one  of  your  countrymen." 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

CONTAINS   A   MENDICANT   NOBLEMAN'S    HISTORY. 

|N  every  community,  based  either  upon  mo- 
narchical or  democratic  principles,  there  is 
a  class  of  persons  that  depends  on  public 
charity  for  a  living.  Pauperism  was  not  un- 
known among  the  Athenians.  Their  legislator,  Solon,  di- 
rected that  the  republic  should  adopt  the  widows  and  chil- 
dren of  those  who  had  been  killed  while  fighting  for  their 
country.  It  existed  also  among  the  Romans.  The  laws 
of  that  iron-hearted  people  plainly  declared  it  to  be  better 
to  let  beggars  starve  than  to  support  them  in  their  idleness. 
During  the  mediaeval  period,  pauperism  spread  to  a  fright- 
ful extent ;  and  in  our"  own  age,  when  commerce  and  in- 
dustry have  made  such  wonderful  progress,  the  scourge 
does  not  seem  to  abate.  As  concerns  the  United  States, 
pauperism  would  be  unknown  if  the  vice  of  intoxication, 
idleness,  and  some  other  evil  practices  could  be  eradi- 
cated from  human  society ;  because  the  means  of  acquir- 
ing wealth  is  within  the  reach  of  every  body,  and  also, 
because  the  remuneration  of  labor  affords  to  men  of  eco- 
nomical habits  easy  ways  of  living.  Pauperism,  however, 
especially  in  large  cities,  is  fearfully  on  the  increase. 
Hundreds  of  mechanics  are  daily  met  with  in  New- York 
in  quest  of  work.  Propose  to  give  them  employment,  on 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  367 

condition  that  they  remove  to  some  State — for  instance,  to 
the  fertile  West — and  they  will  scorn  the  proposition  ;  they 
will  decline  to  leave  the  metropolis,  where  they  wallow  in 
misery  and  vice.  Furthermore,  many  immigrants  to  this 
country  refuse  to  work  when  the  salary  offered  them  is 
below  the  expectation  they  cherished  on  leaving  Europe, 
and  will  perhaps  finally  join  the  ranks  of  those  professional 
mendicants  who  have  crossed  the  ocean  to  practice  here 
their  calling. 

"  It  is  even  highly  probable  that  pauperism  would  have 
more  rapidly  increased,  had  not  the  Federal  administra- 
tion objected  to  the  sending  here,  by  some  European  gov- 
ernments, of  their  paupers  and  vagabonds  ;  and  its  threat 
to  prevent  the  further  landing  of  immigrants  of  that  class 
was  the  only  means  to  stop  this  growing  evil. 

"  The  man  who  asked  us  for  alms  was  brought  over,  a 
few  years  ago,  by  a  ship  chartered  by  a  foreign  govern- 
ment for  the  purpose  of  transferring  its  surplus  paupers 
and  vagrants  to  the  care  of  the  United  States.  He  belongs 
to  one  of  the  most  ancient  families  of  France,  and  is,  in 
reality,  a  marquis — the  title,  you  will  remember,  by  which 
I  addressed  him.  You  will  doubtless  be  surprised  to  learn 
that  the  marquis's  wife  has  again  married,  notwithstanding 
her  lord  is  still  living  ;  and  his  own  children  have  inherited 
his  fortune  in  the  same  way  as  though  he  were  really  dead. 
There  are  in  France,  as  well  as  in  other  countries,  very 
singular  laws ;  and  you  will  understand,  from  the  sequel, 
how  that  nobleman  became  a  mendicant  in  the  streets  of 
New- York. 

"In  1832,  two  years  after  the  overthrow  of  the  Bour- 
bons from  the  throne  of  France,  an  insurrection  broke  out 
in  some  western  provinces  of  that  country.  Noblemen,  and 
especially  the  poor  country  squires,  rose  in  arms  against 


368  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

a  government  repugnant  to  their  feelings  and  prejudices. 
Well  acquainted  with  a  country  intersected  with  cross- 
roads, hedges,  and  woods,  through  which  the  regulars 
did  not  dare  to  move,  the  insurgents  resorted  to  a  par- 
tisan warfare.  They  did  not  shrink  from  even  commit- 
ting many  a  highway  robbery ;  until  the  people,  coming  to 
the  government's  assistance,  put  an  end  to  the  insurrec- 
tion. 

"One  of  the  noblemen,  who  had,  with  the  aid  of  his 
servants  and  farmers,  attacked  the  tax-collectors  and  gen- 
darmes, stopped  public  conveyances,  and  robbed  the  tra- 
velers, was  a  young  man  whose  father  had  lost  his  patri- 
mony at  the  time  of  the  first  French  revolution.  That 
young  man,  the  Marquis  of  Limbaudieres,  is  the  beggar 
whose  history  I  am  now  relating. 

"  It  is  useless  to  enter  into  details  concerning  the  Ven- 
dean  insurrection.  Suffice  it  to  say,  the  royalist  chiefs 
could  not  come  to  an  understanding;  and  the  Duchess 
of  Berry,  the  mother  of  the  Pretender,  after  a  short  stay 
among  her  partisans,  and  many  a  romantic  adventure, 
took  refuge  in  a  devoted  friend's  house  ;  but  only  to  be 
soon  betrayed  by  a  German  Jew,  and  delivered  over  to  the 
French  government. 

"When  peace  was  restored  in  the  western  provinces, 
the  duchess's  partisans — principally  those  who  had  re- 
sorted to  plunder — were  unmercifully  prosecuted.  Among 
these  was  the  young  Marquis  of  Limbaudieres ;  and  as  it 
was  proved  he  had  committed  many  a  deed  of  pillage, 
such  as  civil  warfare  itself  could  not  excuse,  he  was  sen- 
tenced to  hard  labor  for  life. 

"According  to  French  law  the  consequences  of  such  a 
condemnation  are  terrible.  The  man  who  has  incurred 
it  is  divested  of  all  his  property,  which  at  once  devolves 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  369 

upon  his  natural  heirs,  in  the  same  manner  as  though  he 
were  dead ;  and  if  he  be  married,  his  marriage  is  annulled 
— his  wife  being  at  liberty  to  enter  again  the  matrimonial 
state. 

"  When  the  Vendean  insurrection  took  place,  the  Mar- 
quis of  Limbaudieres  was  married  and  the  father  of  two 
children.  As  he  had  no  fortune,  he  condescended  to  ask 
in  marriage  the  daughter  of  a  lawyer,  a  man  of  consider- 
able wealth.  Though  the  lawyer's  daughter  was  reputed 
to  be  in  love  with  one  of  her  father's  clerks,  she  had  to 
submit,  and  had  been  the  marquis's  wife  three  years,  when 
he  was  sentenced  to  hard  labor  for  life. 

"  The  marchioness,  though  she  had  borne  her  husband 
two  children,  had  never  loved  him ;  and  in  the  sudden 
bereavement  that  had  come  upon  her,  she  thought  proper 
to  take  the  advice  of  her  father's  former  clerk,  now  him- 
self a  promising  lawyer.  The  lawyer  informed  her  she 
was  free  to  marry  again,  as,  according  to  the  laws  of 
France,  her  husband  was  dead,  so  far  as  regarded  his 
status  in  society ;  furthermore,  that  the  administration  of 
the  marquis's  large  fortune  had  devolved  upon  her.  This 
advice  led  the  marchioness  to  seriously  reflect  on  her  fu- 
ture prospects,  and  the  result  of  her  reflections  was,  that, 
after  a  few  months,  she  threw  off  her  title  of  nobility  and 
became  her  former  lover's  wife. 

"  Fifteen  years  elapsed.  During  that  period,  the  Mar- 
quis vainly  tried,  from  his  jail,  to  obtain  intelligence  of  his 
wife  and  children,  and  the  latter  had  just  become  inher. 
itors  of  a  large  fortune  from  distant  relatives  of  their 
father,  when  he  unexpectedly  recovered  his  liberty. 

"Another  revolution,  that  of  1848,  had  broken  out  in 
France ;  and  the  new  government  granted  a  general  par- 
don to  all  political  offenders  sentenced  under  the  last 


37O  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

regime.  The  marquis  availed  himself  of  his  freedom  to 
repair  at  ortce  to  his  former  home;  and  there  he  ascer- 
tained he  had  neither  family  nor  property  now  on  earth. 
As  regards  his  children,  they  were  squandering  the  for- 
tune they  had  just  inherited  from  their  father's  relatives ; 
and,  under  the  pretense  he  had  disgraced  the  family  name, 
they  declined  to  see  or  have  aught  to  do  with  him. 

"  Amid  these  discomfitures,  the  poor  marquis  was  threat 
ened  with  starvation.  He  had  no  profession  ;  his  education 
had  been  such  that  he  could  attend  to  no  mercantile  business; 
and  to  fill  the  measure  of  his  misery,  he  could  not  claim 
an  alimony  from  his  children  or  from  his  former  wife  j  for, 
as  he  was  lawfully  dead,  he  had  no  power  to  institute  an 
action  before  any  tribunal.  Maddened  by  despair,  the 
marquis  resolved  that,  as  a  barbarous  law  had  reduced 
him  to  beggary,  he  would  in  reality  become  a  beggar. 
And  hence  he  commenced  to  beg — not  only  to  keep  him 
from  starvation,  but  also,  by  the  daily  exhibition  of  his 
misery,  to  humble  and  punish  his  ungrateful  relatives. 
He  asked  the  passers-by  for  alms  in  the  very  street  in 
which  his  former  wife  and  children  resided  ;  gloomy  and 
resigned,  he  imparted  to  nobody  the  sorrow  of  his  heart 
nor  his  resentment ;  but  every  body  pitied  him,  and  knew 
his  distress  and  misery  were  a  reproach  to  society,  to 
cruel  and  antiquated  laws,  to  a  wealthy  and  unnatural 
family. 

"  The  marquis  led  this  life  three  years  ;  after  which,  his 
children,  urged  by  the  clamor  of  public  opinion  and  their 
father's  former  friends,  offered  him  an  annuity  of  one 
thousand  dollars,  provided  he  would  leave  the  country. 
The  marquis  accepted  it,  because  he  had  fully  chastised  a 
heartless  family,  and  also  because  he  knew  he  should  lose 
public  sympathy  were  he  to  beg  again,  now  that  his  wants 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  371 

were  provided  for.  So  he  left  the  country  and  went  to 
Paris. 

"  Here  begins  a  period,  in  the  marquis's  life,  which 
would  be  really  unaccountable  were  not  the  human  heart 
an  unfathomable  abyss  of  contradictions  and  mysteries. 
This  man,  who  had  actually  a  competency — this  nobleman 
by  birth,  education,  and  feelings — asked  alms  in  the  streets 
of  Paris  as  he  had  done  in  a  French  province.  He  had 
there  formed  the  habit  of  begging,  and  now  he  could  not 
rid  himself  of  it.  One  could  meet  him  almost  any  day,  at 
the  French  capital's  fashionable  resorts,  elegantly  dressed 
and  attracting  the  attention  of  every  one  by  his  easy  deport- 
ment and  gentlemanlike  appearance.  The  same  man, 
at  night,  donning  a  smock-frock,  and  wearing  a  greasy, 
slouched  hat,  begged  for  alms  of  passers-by,  whom  he 
tried  to  move  to  pity  by  relating  his  mournful  adventures. 
Arrested,  time  and  again,  by  the  police,  and  several  times 
put  in  prison  as  an  inveterate  mendicant,  he  left  France  in 
disgust,  and  went  to  Belgium.  Beggars  abound  in  that 
small  kingdom,  and  the  public  authorities — a  fact  the 
marquis  was  not  aware  of — sometimes  deal  harshly  with 
that  unfortunate  class  of  the  population.  One  day,  they 
arrested  in  the  streets  of  Brussels  several  hundred  of 
these  beggars  and  hurried  them  off  to  Antwerp,  where 
they  were  embarked  on  board  a  sailing  vessel  chartered 
for  the  occasion.  Those  not  very  desirable  immigrants 
arrived  here  previously  to  the  determination  of  the  govern- 
ment to  prevent  the  further  landing  of  foreigners  of  that 
description,  who  can  be  but  a  burden  to  the  country  ;  and 
thus  it  happened  the  marquis  is  now  treading  the  soil  of 
the  great  Republic. 

"  He  had  hardly  landed,  when  he  began  to  indulge  his 
propensity — now  an  incurable  mania — for  begging.  The 


372  Asmodeus  in  New -York 

police  know  him  well ;  but  as  he  is  always  supplied  with 
money  when  arrested,  and  has  satisfactorily  proved  that  he 
has  an  annuity  of  one  thousand  dollars,  the  officers  of  the  law 
do  not  feel  justified  in  dealing  with  him  as  they  do  with 
common  beggars  and  vagabonds.  They  give  him  a  gen- 
tle reprimand,  exact  from  him  a  promise  that  he  will  re- 
linquish his  degrading  business,  and  then  discharge  him. 
The  next  day,  the  marquis  has,  of  course,  forgotten  his 
promise,  and  begs  in  the  streets  as  soon  as  night  comes 
on  ;  for  this  habit  of  begging  is  as  strong  now  with  him  as 
nature  itself. 

"  This  instance  of  a  disordered  reason  suggests  an  ob- 
servation, which  I  now  venture  to  make  as  a  conclusion. 
I  firmly  believe  posterity  will  look  with  contempt  upon  our 
penal  legislation,  our  classing  of  crimes  and  offenses,  and 
the  severe  penalties  inflicted  on  offenders  in  certain  cir- 
cumstances. In  many  a  dubious  case,  in  many  an  in- 
fraction of  penal  laws,  society  ought  to  require  the  physi- 
cian's intervention  rather  than  that  of  a  judge  applying 
severe  laws,  which  are,  most  of  the  time,  of  no  scientific 
value.  We  must  acknowledge  the  United  States  have 
been  quick  to  understand  that  many  crimes  are  brought 
on  by  mental  perturbation,  and  consequently  criminal  law 
has  nothing  to  do  with  them ;  that  many  offenders  are  but 
diseased  persons  and  need  medical  examination — in  short, 
that  physicians  must  point  out,  as  often  as  criminal  judges, 
the  proper  remedies  for  all  deviations  from  the  right  path." 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

ASMODEUS'S    FAREWELL   TO   THE   READER. 

[SMODEUS  has  left  New- York,  and  never,  per- 
haps, shall  I  see  him  again  !  While  awaiting 
his  usual  morning  call,  a  messenger  brought  me 
the  following  letter : 
"After  leaving  you  yesterday,  I  decided  to  go  to  China, 
and  I  now  write  on  board  of  one  of  the  steamers  of  the 
Pacific  Mail  Steamship  Company,  which  carries  travelers 
to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  thence  to  San  Francisco,  and 
from  San  Francisco  to  the  extreme  Orient.  I  said,  last 
night,  at  the  mansion  of  the  friend  of  the  Marchioness 
of  Fairrags,  while  delineating  the  destinies  of  America, 
that  the  Chinese  empire  was  falling  to  decay,  and  I  want 
to  ascertain  whether  such  an  assertion  be  correct ;  for,  on 
reflection,  I  can  hardly  believe  an  empire  founded  over 
three  thousand  years  ago  is  actually  tottering — especially 
when  we  take  into  consideration  that  such  was  the  power- 
ful influence  the  Chinese  exerted  over  intruding  nations, 
they  never  failed  to  absorb  and  subjugate  them  to  their 
own  manners  and  institutions.  At  all  events,  we  must 
acknowledge  the  Chinese  monarchy,  cotemporaneous  with 
the  Egyptian  Pharaohs,  was  made  up  of  wonderful  ma- 
terials. What  a  tremendous  noise  will  such  an  edifice 
make  when  it  falls  !  I  want  to  assist  at  so  magnificent  a 
sight.  Hence  my  sudden  departure. 


374  Asmodeus  in  New-York. 

"  When  I  visited  China  years  ago,  Europeans  had  hard- 
ly a  foothold  there.  To-day,  afrnost  all  the  seaports  of 
the  great  Chinese  empire  are  open  to  the  Caucasian  race, 
and  it  remains  to  be  seen  whether  the  contact  of  the  latter 
will  prove  as  destructive  to  the  descendants  of  Confucius 
as  it  has  to  the  Indians  of  America — as  it  will,  perhaps, 
to  the  blacks,  now  emerging  to  citizenship  and  enjoying 
equal  rights  with  the  whites  in  the  great  Republic.  Withal, 
to  cross  the  Pacific  Ocean  on  board  of  one  of  those 
steamers  Americans  are  so  justly  proud  of,  afforded  such  a 
tempting  inducement  to  gratify  my  traveling  propensity, 
I  could  not  resist  it.  When,  in  a  few  years,  I  return  to 
America,  I  may  find  increased  by  twenty  and  perhaps 
more  new  States — stretching  from  the  Rocky  Mountains 
to  the  Pacific  coast  and  up  to  Behring's  Strait  and  the 
Aleutian  Islands — this  already  mighty  Union.  It  will 
then  confound  the  institutions  of  the  Old  World  and  their 
effete  governments.  For  the  Americans  are  the  pioneers 
of  the  great  doctrine  that  it  is  the  right  of  the  living  to 
enjoy  the  good  things  of  the  earth,  as  much  as  it  is  their 
duty  to  create  wealth  for  those  who  come  after ;  and  the 
great  spectacle  of  millions  and  millions  of  people,  living 
prosperous  and  happy  under  the  protecting  shade  of  de- 
mocratic liberty  will  open  a  new  era  to  mankind.  Who 
can  foretell  the  many  changes  such  an  increase  of  power 
and  prestige  will  work  in  American  manners  and  habits  ? 

"  I  do  not  believe,  however,  the  principal  features  of  the 
national  character  will  experience  any  marked  change  for 
a  long  time  to  come.  Americans  will  retain,  for  centuries 
perhaps,  their  restlessness  and  spirit  of  enterprise,  their 
fickleness  and  love  of  progress,  in  a  word,  their  good  and 
bad  qualities,  until  they  have  redeemed  from  a  wilderness 
and  turned  over  to  civilization  the  vast  continent  of  North- 


Asmodeus  in  New -York.  375 

America.  And  do  not  apprehend  they  will  fail  to  carry 
out  this  providential  mission,  through  political  strifes  and 
divisions.  The  homogeneity  of  the  American  nation  and 
the  integrity  of  the  Republic  are  now  secure,  notwithstan- 
ing  the  vast  territory  her  flag  floats  over.  The  American 
carries  everywhere  the  same  manners  and  feelings  ;  and 
one  wonders  at  the  uniformity  of  language,  of  aspiration, 
of  ideas,  existing  from  Canada  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico ; 
from  the  Alleghanies  to  the  argentiferous  mountains  of  Ne- 
vada. And  such  marvelous  uniformity  appears  in  every 
thing,  under  every  shape  :  it  exists  in  the  buildings,  in  the 
mechanic  processes,  in  the  customs  of  the  people,  in  their 
hatreds,  in  their  sympathies.  The  reason  of  this  is  ob- 
vious :  the  American  is  forever  traveling ;  he  carries  every- 
where the  ideas  and  habits  with  which  he  was  nurtured, 
and  thus  he  feels  at  home  everywhere  throughout  the  vast 
area  of  the  northern  continent. 

"Foreigners,  to  correctly  understand  the  workings  of 
American  society,  should  always  bear  in  mind  that  the  go- 
vernment is  the  people  and  the  people  the  government  in 
the  American  Union.  Minds  lacking  that  comprehension, 
or  sullen  and  morose,  predict  the  disruption  of  the  Re- 
public, and  foretell  that  several  hostile  communities  will 
arise  from  its  fragments.  The  varied  and  antagonistic  in- 
terests which,  as  a  matter  of  course,  exist  on  so  extensive 
a  territory,  will  peacefully  adjust  themselves.  Steam  and 
electricity  have  annihilated  time  and  distance,  and  every 
day  more  firmly  unite  the  different  portions  of  a  country 
in  which  men  feel  no  extravagant  love  for  the  narrow  local- 
ity where  they  were  born.  The  patriotism  of  the  Ameri- 
cans is  as  broad  as  the  continent  they  inhabit.  They  are, 
in  reality,  more  attached  to  their  institutions  than  to  the 
soil  of  their  birth.  Citizens  of  an  immense  country,  they 


376  Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

are  strangers  in  no  part  of  it,  and  they  are  as  much  at 
home  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi  as  on  those  of  the 
Hudson ;  in  the  perfumed  groves  of  Florida,  as  on  the 
hills  of  Vermont. 

"  That  unmistakable  tendency  of  the  whole  nation  to 
annex  and  absorb  her  neighbors  is,  to  an  equal  extent, 
noticeable  with  individuals.  Be  always  on  your  guard 
when  trading  or  transacting  business  with  an  American. 
He  has  the  peculiar  faculty  of  elbowing  every  one  out  of 
the  way,  and  making  room  for  himself  alone.  Having  a 
natural  turn  for  business,  he  is  often  unwittingly  led  from 
the  path  of  right,  by  the  astuteness  it  develops  in  his 
mind.  A  great  borrower,  he  will  borrow  with  his  pockets 
full  of  money,  and  never  decline  a  proffered  loan.  As  a 
consequence,  he  is  the  greatest  maker  of  fiduciary  paper 
in  the  world.  Were  such  a  thing  possible,  he  would,  with- 
out hesitation,  purchase  all  the  kingdoms  on  earth,  offering 
his  note  in  payment ;  and,  if  accepted,  little  trouble  him- 
self about  it  until  it  was  due. 

"  As  he  relies  upon  himself  to  a  wonderful  extent  for 
every  thing,  and  in  every  circumstance,  he  admits  of  no 
superiority,  and  thinks  himself  equal  to  any  body ;  com- 
petent for  any  work,  any  enterprise,  and  any  station  in 
society.  Kind-hearted  and  good-natured,  he  exhibits  in 
conversation  an  insufferable  conceit  of  himself;  still,  such 
are  the  fairness  and  candor  of  his  assertions,  his  hearers 
do  not  attach  to  them  much  importance,  and  feel  no  more 
inclined  to  contradict  him  than  they  would  the  harmless 
prattle  of  children. 

"  We  could  have  visited  what  is  termed  the  background 
of  civilization — that  is,  the  dens  of  misery,  corruption,  and 
crime.  But  what  enlightenment  could  we  have  gained,  as 
regards  American  manners,  and  the  peculiar  features  of 


Asinodeus  in  New -York.  377 

American  society  ?  Some  evils  disgrace  every  community, 
and  seem  the  inevitable  accompaniment  of  society.  And 
political  institutions,  as  near  to  perfection  as  we  fancy 
them,  have  been,  as  yet.  powerless  to  eradicate  those  evils, 
and  to  establish  such  social  relations  as  will  give  to  each 
person  the  fullest  satisfaction  of  his  wants. 

"  If  you  settle  in  the  United  States,  do  not  believe  every 
thing  that  glitters  is  pure  gold.  The  great  wealth  that 
many  persons  boast  of  is,  in  most  cases,  but  imaginary. 
Americans  are  wonderfully  predisposed  to  exaggeration 
and  bombast,  and  though  they  are  kind-hearted,  such  is 
often  their  fickleness  and  levity,  that  foreigners  have 
charged  them  with  selfishness  and  want  of  feeling. 

"  The  boasted  wealth  of  many  individuals  is  not  the  only 
thing  that  is  fictitious  in  the  United  States.  The  same  is 
often  true  of  science,  of  religion,  of  religious  freedom,  of 
public  and  private  morals.  Individualism,  or  attachment 
to  the  interests  of  individuals,  in  preference  to  the  common 
interests  of  society,  is  at  the  bottom  of  every  thing — politi- 
cal institutions,  civil  laws,  and  morals  ;  and  consequently, 
to  the  American  the  world  is  himself. 

"  Hence  it  follows  that  discretion  and  caution  are  indis- 
pensable requisites  for  foreigners  settling  among  such  a 
people.  If  they  have  brought  money  from  Europe,  let 
them  keep  it,  and  refrain  from-  investing  it  in  any  enterprise, 
until  they  have  acquired  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  coun- 
try; and,  to  get  a  satisfactory  knowledge  of  it,  of  the 
Americans'  ways  of  doing  business,  of  their  character  and 
morals,  not  a  few  weeks,  nor  a  few  months,  but  several 
years  are  required. 

"  It  is  fair  to  conjecture  that  men  of  refined  education — 
such  as  artists  and  person  sattached  to  aristocratic  tradi- 
tions of  older  forms  of  society — do  not  thoroughly  enjoy 


3/S          •       Asmodeus  in  New -York. 

themselves  in,  and  so  dislike,  the  United  States.  They 
have  certainly  little  chance  to  succeed,  whatever  be  the 
field  of  labor  they  choose  to  work  in  ;  and  many  a  dis- 
appointment, many  a  delusion  is  in  store  for  them,  whether 
they  finally  succeed  or  not. 

"On  the  contrary,  mechanics  and  operatives — those  who 
are  conversant  with  the  useful  and  industrial  arts — immi- 
grants skillful  in  some  handicraft,  have  no  excuse  for  not 
achieving  success  and  acquiring  a  competency.  But  what- 
ever be  the  sphere  they  move  in,  the  profession  they  adopt, 
or  the  business  they  engage  in,  they  ought  ever  to  bear  in 
mind  the  advice  Mentor  gave  Telemachus,  on  the  eve  of 
leaving  his  pupil : 

* "  LISTEN  TO  EVERY  BODY,  AND  TRUST  BUT  A  FEW  !' 

"  ASMODEUS." 


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